言葉
Meaning in Englishword, language, expression
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
言葉 means a unit of language used to communicate; it encompasses both individual words and the broader system of spoken or written expression that people use to convey meaning.
Main meanings
- A single lexical item or term that represents a concept or object
- Language as a whole or the vocabulary and structure used to express ideas
- Speech or expression, the act of speaking or conveying thoughts in conversation
- Style of speaking or phrasing, including nuance and register
How to use it
Used across formal and casual contexts to denote words, speech, or language; common phrases include 言葉を交わす and 言葉遣い, with variations in politeness and register depending on the situation. In everyday speech one can refer to one's vocabulary or to the act of speaking without specifying individual words.
Variants and close terms
- 語彙 (goi) — vocabulary
- 語 (go) — word; often a component in compounds
- 言語 (gengo) — language
- 話し言葉 (hanashi-kotoba) — spoken language
- 沈黙 (chinmoku) — silence (antonym in some contexts)
Composition
- 言: to say, speech, utterance
- 葉: leaf, page; in this compound it evokes a unit of writing or content
Etymology
言 and 葉 form a native compound read kotoba (kotoba); this reading uses kun'yomi rather than Sino-Japanese readings, and 葉 undergoes rendaku to become ば in modern use
Origin
The concept appears in Old Japanese and remains central through classical and modern usage, reflecting a long-standing role of words and speech in Japanese communication.
Word class
noun (名詞)