機能
Meaning in Englishfunction, faculty, capability
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
機能 means the function, role, or capability of something; in practice it describes what a thing can do, how it works, or the features it provides. In technology and software it refers to features or capabilities; in biology it denotes the physiological role of an organ or organism; in business or everyday talk it can describe the purpose or utility of a process, tool, or system.
Main meanings
- primary sense: the function or capability of a device, system, organ, or process
- feature sense: the set of features or functionalities offered by a product or service
- biological sense: the physiological role of a body part or organism
- conceptual sense: the purpose or intended use within a larger system or workflow
How to use it
Used in formal, technical, and academic language across IT, engineering, medicine, and science, as well as in consumer tech discussions. Common patterns include 機能を持つ, 機能がある, 機能を追加する, and 機能停止; it can describe not only machines but also organs, systems, processes, and abstract roles.
Variants and close terms
- 機能性 (kinōsei) — the quality or state of being functional
- 性能 (seinō) — performance or capability
- 役割 (yakuwari) — role within a system
Composition
- 機: machine, mechanism; 能: ability, capability; together denote the capacity of a mechanism to perform tasks
Etymology
機 indicates mechanism or device; 能 indicates ability or capability; combined they form kinō, the word for function or functionality, with the reading showing the on'yomi form.
Word class
noun (名詞)