"こそ" meaning in Japanese

See こそ in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Particle

Forms: koso [romanization]
Etymology: From Old Japanese. Possibly derived from 此 (ko, “this”) + そ (so, Old Japanese emphatic particle). Etymology templates: {{inh|ja|ojp|-}} Old Japanese, {{cog|ojp|-}} Old Japanese Head templates: {{ja-pos|particle}} こそ • (koso)
  1. emphatic particle used for emphasis: it is ... that
    Sense id: en-こそ-ja-particle-z-UmCXox Categories (other): Japanese particles Disambiguation of Japanese particles: 43 52 5
  2. emphatic particle used for emphasis: it is ... that
    used in set phrases when returning a greeting or apology to someone
    Sense id: en-こそ-ja-particle-tLgWILdH Categories (other): Japanese entries with incorrect language header, Japanese links with redundant alt parameters, Japanese links with redundant wikilinks, Japanese particles, Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys, Old Japanese entries with incorrect language header, Old Japanese particles, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Japanese entries with incorrect language header: 28 65 8 Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant alt parameters: 34 53 13 Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant wikilinks: 36 53 11 Disambiguation of Japanese particles: 43 52 5 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys: 31 58 12 Disambiguation of Old Japanese entries with incorrect language header: 24 58 5 5 2 6 Disambiguation of Old Japanese particles: 34 47 2 7 4 6 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 22 54 7 6 5 7 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 25 62 4 3 3 4
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: それこそ (sorekoso), ばこそ (-ba koso), もこそ (mo koso)

Suffix

Forms: -koso [romanization]
Etymology: From Old Japanese. Possibly derived from 此 (ko, “this”) + そ (so, Old Japanese emphatic particle). Etymology templates: {{inh|ja|ojp|-}} Old Japanese, {{cog|ojp|-}} Old Japanese Head templates: {{ja-pos|suffix}} こそ • (-koso)
  1. (archaic) used for calling or appealing Tags: archaic, morpheme
    Sense id: en-こそ-ja-suffix-FbfNwPQe

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "roman": "sorekoso",
      "word": "それこそ"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "roman": "-ba koso",
      "word": "ばこそ"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "roman": "mo koso",
      "word": "もこそ"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ojp",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ojp",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old Japanese.\nPossibly derived from 此 (ko, “this”) + そ (so, Old Japanese emphatic particle).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "koso",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "particle"
      },
      "expansion": "こそ • (koso)",
      "name": "ja-pos"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "particle",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 52 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese particles",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_english_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "bold_roman_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              8
            ]
          ],
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              2,
              4
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Today is the day I'm gonna do it!",
          "roman": "Kyō koso, yaru zo!",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "今日",
              "きょう"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "今日こそ、やるぞ!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_english_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              4
            ],
            [
              57,
              61
            ]
          ],
          "bold_roman_offsets": [
            [
              21,
              25
            ]
          ],
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              7,
              9
            ]
          ],
          "english": "It's because I like you [because of my fondness for you] that I'm working this hard.",
          "roman": "Kimi ga suki da kara koso kore hodo ganbatte iru n da yo.",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "君",
              "きみ"
            ],
            [
              "好",
              "す"
            ],
            [
              "頑",
              "がん"
            ],
            [
              "張",
              "ば"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "君が好きだからこそこれほど頑張っているんだよ。",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "emphatic particle used for emphasis: it is ... that"
      ],
      "id": "en-こそ-ja-particle-z-UmCXox",
      "links": [
        [
          "emphatic",
          "emphatic#English"
        ],
        [
          "particle",
          "particle#English"
        ],
        [
          "emphasis",
          "emphasis#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "28 65 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 53 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 53 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 52 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese particles",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 58 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 58 5 5 2 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 47 2 7 4 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old Japanese particles",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 54 7 6 5 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 2 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 62 4 3 3 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_roman_offsets": [
            [
              29,
              33
            ]
          ],
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              17,
              19
            ]
          ],
          "roman": "“Arigatō gozaimasu!”“Kochira koso!”",
          "text": "「ありがとうございます!」「こちらこそ!」",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "emphatic particle used for emphasis: it is ... that",
        "used in set phrases when returning a greeting or apology to someone"
      ],
      "id": "en-こそ-ja-particle-tLgWILdH",
      "links": [
        [
          "emphatic",
          "emphatic#English"
        ],
        [
          "particle",
          "particle#English"
        ],
        [
          "emphasis",
          "emphasis#English"
        ],
        [
          "set",
          "set#English"
        ],
        [
          "phrase",
          "phrase#English"
        ],
        [
          "return",
          "return#English"
        ],
        [
          "greeting",
          "greeting#English"
        ],
        [
          "apology",
          "apology#English"
        ],
        [
          "someone",
          "someone#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "こそ"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ojp",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ojp",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old Japanese.\nPossibly derived from 此 (ko, “this”) + そ (so, Old Japanese emphatic particle).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "-koso",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "こそ • (-koso)",
      "name": "ja-pos"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "used for calling or appealing"
      ],
      "id": "en-こそ-ja-suffix-FbfNwPQe",
      "links": [
        [
          "call",
          "call#English"
        ],
        [
          "appeal",
          "appeal#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) used for calling or appealing"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "こそ"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Japanese hiragana",
    "Japanese lemmas",
    "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
    "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
    "Japanese particles",
    "Japanese suffixes",
    "Japanese terms derived from Old Japanese",
    "Japanese terms inherited from Old Japanese",
    "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
    "Old Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old Japanese lemmas",
    "Old Japanese particles",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "roman": "sorekoso",
      "word": "それこそ"
    },
    {
      "roman": "-ba koso",
      "word": "ばこそ"
    },
    {
      "roman": "mo koso",
      "word": "もこそ"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ojp",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ojp",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old Japanese.\nPossibly derived from 此 (ko, “this”) + そ (so, Old Japanese emphatic particle).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "koso",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "particle"
      },
      "expansion": "こそ • (koso)",
      "name": "ja-pos"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "particle",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_english_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "bold_roman_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              8
            ]
          ],
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              2,
              4
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Today is the day I'm gonna do it!",
          "roman": "Kyō koso, yaru zo!",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "今日",
              "きょう"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "今日こそ、やるぞ!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_english_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              4
            ],
            [
              57,
              61
            ]
          ],
          "bold_roman_offsets": [
            [
              21,
              25
            ]
          ],
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              7,
              9
            ]
          ],
          "english": "It's because I like you [because of my fondness for you] that I'm working this hard.",
          "roman": "Kimi ga suki da kara koso kore hodo ganbatte iru n da yo.",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "君",
              "きみ"
            ],
            [
              "好",
              "す"
            ],
            [
              "頑",
              "がん"
            ],
            [
              "張",
              "ば"
            ]
          ],
          "text": "君が好きだからこそこれほど頑張っているんだよ。",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "emphatic particle used for emphasis: it is ... that"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "emphatic",
          "emphatic#English"
        ],
        [
          "particle",
          "particle#English"
        ],
        [
          "emphasis",
          "emphasis#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_roman_offsets": [
            [
              29,
              33
            ]
          ],
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              17,
              19
            ]
          ],
          "roman": "“Arigatō gozaimasu!”“Kochira koso!”",
          "text": "「ありがとうございます!」「こちらこそ!」",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "emphatic particle used for emphasis: it is ... that",
        "used in set phrases when returning a greeting or apology to someone"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "emphatic",
          "emphatic#English"
        ],
        [
          "particle",
          "particle#English"
        ],
        [
          "emphasis",
          "emphasis#English"
        ],
        [
          "set",
          "set#English"
        ],
        [
          "phrase",
          "phrase#English"
        ],
        [
          "return",
          "return#English"
        ],
        [
          "greeting",
          "greeting#English"
        ],
        [
          "apology",
          "apology#English"
        ],
        [
          "someone",
          "someone#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "こそ"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Japanese hiragana",
    "Japanese lemmas",
    "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
    "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
    "Japanese particles",
    "Japanese suffixes",
    "Japanese terms derived from Old Japanese",
    "Japanese terms inherited from Old Japanese",
    "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
    "Old Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old Japanese lemmas",
    "Old Japanese particles",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ojp",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ojp",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Japanese",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old Japanese.\nPossibly derived from 此 (ko, “this”) + そ (so, Old Japanese emphatic particle).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "-koso",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "こそ • (-koso)",
      "name": "ja-pos"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "used for calling or appealing"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "call",
          "call#English"
        ],
        [
          "appeal",
          "appeal#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) used for calling or appealing"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "こそ"
}

Download raw JSONL data for こそ meaning in Japanese (4.2kB)

{
  "called_from": "parser/1336",
  "msg": "no corresponding start tag found for </span>",
  "path": [
    "こそ"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "particle",
  "title": "こそ",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "parser/1336",
  "msg": "no corresponding start tag found for </span>",
  "path": [
    "こそ"
  ],
  "section": "Japanese",
  "subsection": "suffix",
  "title": "こそ",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Japanese dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-05-29 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (e937b02 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.