Word
独り言
Meaning in Englisha soliloquy, a monologue, speaking to oneself
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
独り言 means a spoken expression of one's thoughts, typically when alone. It refers to muttering or voicing private musings aloud rather than addressing others, and is used to describe everyday behavior with a neutral, humorous, or critical nuance.
Main meanings
- A soliloquy or self-directed speech spoken aloud, usually when alone
- A muttering or casual voicing of private thoughts without intending an audience
- In literature or media, a device to reveal a character's internal thoughts
- In everyday speech, a habit of talking to oneself rather than responding to others
How to use it
Used as a noun to denote muttering or speaking to oneself; typically casual or neutral in tone; common in everyday conversation, in commentary, or in writing to show a character's private thoughts.
Variants and close terms
- 独白 (dokuhaku) — monologue, often literary
- つぶやき (tsubuyaki) — muttering or mumbling; casual
- 無言 (mugon) — silence, lack of speech
- 内心の独り言 (naishin no hitorigoto) — inner monologue
Composition
- 独 meaning alone; り is an okurigana turning the kanji into the noun/adjectival form; 言 meaning speech or words. Together they form a noun describing speech by oneself
Etymology
独り + 言 ; the first element means alone, the second means speech. The compound describes speech produced by oneself rather than others.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N2
言い付ける
iitsukeru
to tell, to order
N2
言付ける
kotozukeru
to leave a message
N2
言葉遣い
kotobazukai
speech, expression, wording
N2
方言
hougen
dialect
N3
言わば
iwaba
so to speak, in a manner of speaking
N3
言語
gengo
language
N3
独身
dokushin
single, unmarried
N3
独特
dokutoku
peculiarity, uniqueness, characteristic
N3
独立
dokuritsu
independence (e.g., Ind. Day), self-support
Kanji