Word
発言
Meaning in Englishutterance, speech, proposal
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
発言 means a spoken utterance or statement by someone; a remark expressed aloud in conversation, debate, or official contexts, focusing on what was said rather than how it was said.
Main meanings
- the content of a spoken remark, often quoted or cited in discussion
- an act of speaking in formal or public settings, such as meetings or press events
- in political or media discourse, 発言 is used to reference a person’s words or stance, or to discuss retracting a remark
How to use it
Used as a neutral or formal noun in journalism, politics, business, and academic writing to refer to what someone has said; common with phrases like 発言をする, 発言内容, 発言を撤回する; casual conversation may prefer more informal terms.
Variants and close terms
- 言明 (genmei) — formal statement
- 発語 (hatsugo) — the act of uttering words
- 沈黙 (chinmoku) — silence, the opposite concept
Composition
- 発: to emit, to start, to release; a trigger of action
- 言: word, speech; the thing spoken
Etymology
発 (hatsu) + 言 (gen) form the compound; this noun uses on'yomi readings for both kanji and conveys the idea of emitting words as speech.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
無言
mugon
silence
N1
予言
yogen
prediction, promise, prognostication
N1
発病
hatsubyou
attack, to become sick
N1
反発
hampatsu
repelling, rebound, oppose
N2
～発
～hatsu
counter for bullets
N2
言い出す
iidasu
to start talking, to suggest
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
Kanji