数

数百人


die

Appropriation of English die for a homophone.

(slang, humorous) Alternative spelling of 大 (dai)


いく

生, 活: (attaches to nouns) vigorous, lively, powerful

幾: (attaches to nouns) implies an indeterminate amount: several, many, much, a lot


あい

ai- (romanization)
afi (romanization)
あひ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese stem form of verb あう (au): to meet, to be together, etc.

相手

兄弟はいつも相戦うものだ。

Brothers (siblings) will always fight (with each other).

used in official or epistolary writings for elegance or politeness


あい

-ai (romanization)
afi (romanization)
あひ (hiragana historical)

意味合い


合う

ja-pos

合(あ)う • (-au) ^(←あふ (afu)?)godan (stem 合(あ)い (-ai), past 合(あ)った (-atta))

合う (canonical)
-au (romanization)
afu (romanization)
合い (stem)
合った (past)

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *apu. Compare 会(あ)う (au).

誓い合う

見つめあう

通じ合う

お互いの民族の優れた性質や高貴な文化を賞讃し合う

1918, 和辻哲郎 (Watsuji Tetsurō), 世界の変革と芸術, 青空文庫 (Aozora Bunko)

praise the excellency and refined quality of the cultures of each other's peoples

o-tagai no minzoku no sugureta seishitsu ya kōki na bunka o shōsan shiau


月

月 (canonical)
-gatsu (romanization)
gwatu (romanization)
ぐわつ (hiragana historical)

/ɡʷatɨ/ → /ɡʷat͡su/ → /ɡat͡su/
From Middle Chinese 月 (ŋʉɐt̚).


そう

そう • (-sō) -na (adnominal そうな (-sō na na), adverbial そうに (-sō ni ni))

-sō (romanization)
そうな (adnominal)
そうに (adverbial)
そうだろ (imperfective stem)
-sō daro (imperfective)
そうで (continuative stem)
-sō de (continuative)
そうだ (stem terminative)
-sō da (terminative)
そうな (attributive stem)
-sō na (attributive)
そうなら (hypothetical stem)
-sō nara (hypothetical)
そうであれ (imperative stem)
-sō de are (imperative)
そうではない (informal negative)
そうじゃない (informal negative)
-sō de wa nai (informal negative)
-sō ja nai (informal negative)
そうだった (informal past)
-sō datta (informal past)
そうではなかった (informal negative past)
そうじゃなかった (informal negative past)
-sō de wa nakatta (informal negative past)
-sō ja nakatta (informal negative past)
そうです (formal)
-sō desu (formal)
そうではありません (formal negative)
そうじゃありません (formal negative)
-sō de wa arimasen (formal negative)
-sō ja arimasen (formal negative)
そうでした (formal past)
-sō deshita (formal past)
そうではありませんでした (formal negative past)
そうじゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
-sō de wa arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
-sō ja arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
そうで (conjunctive)
-sō de (conjunctive)
そうなら（ば） (conditional)
-sō nara (ba) (conditional)
そうだったら (conditional past)
-sō dattara (conditional past)
そうだろう (volitional)
-sō darō (volitional)
そうに (adverbial)
-sō ni (adverbial)
そうさ (noun-from-adj)
-sōsa (noun-from-adj)

ja-adj-infl

そう

. で は ありません でした

. じゃ ありません でした

/sau/ → /sɔː/ → /soː/
Probably either a shift from 様 (sama), or directly from 相 (sō). Appears from the Muromachi period.
Possibly influenced by, or developed by analogy to, the adverbial and interjectional sō (然う).

(after the plain form of a verb or adjective) apparently, heard that (relating something heard from someone or somewhere else)


愛

Originally a compound of 真 (ma, “true, genuine”) + な (na), an Old Japanese version of modern Japanese の (no, possessive particle).
The use of 愛 here is an example of ateji (当て字).

before a common noun, expresses a sense of admiration or value: good, genuine; compare English the real deal

before a noun describing a person, expresses praise or fondness: dear, beloved


青

青 (canonical)
ao- (romanization)
awo (romanization)
あを (hiragana historical)

/sawo/ (uncertain, may be compound as opposed to root) → /awo/ → /ao/
From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *awo.
Appears as the latter part in older compounds with an -s- infix or prefix. It is unclear if this leading /s/ is indicative of an earlier form (sawo), or if this was an addition for euphony to avoid vowel clusters, or for other reasons. This /s/ is also seen in 雨(あめ) (ame, “rain”, becoming same in old compounds) and 稲(いね) (ine, “rice”, becoming shine in old compounds).
Given that this /s/ only ever appears interstitially, and given the semantics, this /s/ may be cognate with Korean interfix ㅅ (-s-) used to mark possession; compare German -s-.


間

二時

二時間

二時五分

五分(間) ― go-fun (kan) ― five minutes

二日

二日(間) ― futsuka (kan) ― two days

suffixes some expressions of time to tell duration rather than time or date


赤

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *aka.


朝

朝 (canonical)
-chō (romanization)
teu (romanization)
てう (hiragana historical)

table
/teu/ → /t͡ɕeu/ → /t͡ɕoː/
The “morning” and “Korea” senses are from Middle Chinese 朝 (MC trjew).
The “imperial court”, “dynasty”, and “epoch” senses are from Middle Chinese 朝 (MC drjew), using the 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) borrowing.

ブルボン朝


漢

Daijisen
Edo period
Gaya confederacy
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
ja:松村明

From Old Japanese.
Originally referred to the Gaya confederacy, an independent state in the south of the Korean peninsula in the years 42–562 CE. Over time, the meaning extended to refer in general to the Korean peninsula and China, expanding further just before and during the Edo period to refer to foreign lands in general.

漢詩、唐歌、唐揚げ、漢音
karauta, karauta, karāge, karagoe
Chinese-style poetry (as opposed to formal waka Japanese-style poetry), Chinese-style poetry, deep-fried chicken or fish (a style introduced by Europeans in the 1600s), “Chinese voice” → the kan'on or Chinese-derived reading for a character

element in compounds, referring to things imported from China or Korea, or from other foreign lands


ま

From Old Japanese. Attested since at least the Kojiki of 712 CE.

真心

one's real mind, one's real thoughts and feelings about something

真白

真上

真: definitely, certainly, exactly, precisely, directly

真竹

真: true, real, main (appended to words for animals or plants to indicate the representative type)

真熊野

真: (archaic, possibly obsolete, honorific) great, excellent


姫

⟨pi₁ me₁⟩ → */pʲimʲe/ → /fime/ → /hime/
From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 日 (hi, “sun”, a prefix or appellation used in reference to the imperial family) + 女 (me, “female person: girl, woman”).


し

四 詩 死 師 仕 市 氏

選ばれし者

瞼閉じればそこに 愛をくれし君の なつかしき声がする

1994, “春よ、来い”, 松任谷由実 (lyrics), 松任谷由実 (music), performed by 松任谷由実

When I close my eyelids, I hear by my side the voice of beloved you who gave me love (modern language)

mabuta tojireba soko ni ai o kureshi kimi no natsukashiki koe ga suru

(Classical Japanese or literary) the adnominal form of Classical and Old Japanese き (ki, past tense auxiliary), equivalent to modern た


し

-shi (romanization)
く (irrealis stem)
から (irrealis stem)
ku (irrealis stem)
kara (irrealis stem)
く (continuative stem)
かり (continuative stem)
ku (continuative stem)
kari (continuative stem)
し (stem terminative)
si (stem terminative)
き (attributive stem)
かる (attributive stem)
ki (attributive stem)
karu (attributive stem)
けれ (realis stem)
kere (realis stem)
かれ (imperative stem)
kare (imperative stem)
からず (negative)
karazu (negative)
けれど (contrastive)
keredo (contrastive)
ければ (causative)
kereba (causative)
くば (conditional)
kuba (conditional)
かりき (past)
kariki (past)
かりけり (past)
karikeri (past)
く (adverbial)
ku (adverbial)
しく (irrealis stem)
しから (irrealis stem)
siku (irrealis stem)
sikara (irrealis stem)
しく (continuative stem)
しかり (continuative stem)
siku (continuative stem)
sikari (continuative stem)
し (stem terminative)
si (stem terminative)
しき (attributive stem)
しかる (attributive stem)
siki (attributive stem)
sikaru (attributive stem)
しけれ (realis stem)
sikere (realis stem)
しかれ (imperative stem)
sikare (imperative stem)
しからず (negative)
sikarazu (negative)
しけれど (contrastive)
sikeredo (contrastive)
しければ (causative)
sikereba (causative)
しくば (conditional)
sikuba (conditional)
しかりき (past)
sikariki (past)
しかりけり (past)
sikarikeri (past)
しく (adverbial)
siku (adverbial)

table
From Old Japanese. Not productive in modern usage.

(Classical Japanese) The 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal or predicative form”) of the conjugable ending for 形容詞 (keiyōshi, “-i adjectives”).


士

弁護士

会計士


戦

(especially in sports) match, competition, contest


君

The kimi changes to gimi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

父君


君

→ English: -kun

→ Chinese:

→ Mandarin: 君 (jūn)

発表致します 平原和正君 二五一票 鈴鹿宏君 二二七票 白票 二二票

1999 January 7, Kenshi Hirokane, “議その166 「決戦投票」 [Debate 166: ‘Final Vote’]”, in 加治隆介の議 [Kaji Ryūsuke’s Debates], volume 20 (fiction), Tōkyō: Kōdansha, page 43

Announcement. Mr. Hirahara Kazumasa: 251 votes. Mr. Suzuka Hiroshi: 227 votes. Blanks: 22 votes.

Happyō itashimasu Hirahara Kazumasa-kun nihyakugojūippō Suzuka Hiroshi-kun nihyakunijūnanahyō Hakuhyō nijūnihyō


今

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Kojiki
Old Japanese language

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *ima.

今世紀最大の危機

今シーズン


er

From English -er, forming novel pseudo-Anglicisms.

(slang) Suffix used for people, especially fans.


空

空箱

空振り

空元気


人

From Late Middle Chinese 人 (MC nyin). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing. Compare Mandarin 人 (rén).

日本人、イギリス人、スペイン人、ドイツ人、米国人、スコットランド人

a Japanese person, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a German, an American, a Scot

Nihonjin, Igirisujin, Supeinjin, Doitsujin, Beikokujin, Sukottorandojin

person who does the activity of the suffixed word


乙

Kojiki
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

Cognate with the initial oto- in 劣る (otoru, “to be less than; to be younger than”), 落とす (otosu, “to drop something”). Also the first element in 弟 (otōto, “younger brother”).
First attested in the Kojiki of 712.
This is distinct from the initial oto- in 乙女(おとめ) (otome), which can instead be traced to an earlier woto- root, cognate with 復(を)つ (wotu).

applied to a noun denoting a person, or to a person's name:


へん

From Classical Japanese せん (sen), from はせん (wa sen), with は merged with the preceding syllable or becoming や, giving やへん (yahen). In turn, はせん is a composition of は (wa, topic marker or emphasis marker), せ (se, “to do”, irrealis stem) and ん (n, “not”).
The consonantal shift /s/ to /h/ is also seen in other words in Kansai, e.g. さん (san) to Kansai はん (han).

(Kansai) negates verbs in non-past tense


やす

-yasu (romanization)
やし (imperfective stem)
やせ (imperfective stem)
-yashi (imperfective stem)
-yase (imperfective stem)
やし (continuative stem)
-yashi (continuative stem)
やす (stem terminative)
-yasu (stem terminative)
やす (attributive stem)
-yasu (attributive stem)
やせ (imperative stem)
やし (imperative stem)
-yase (imperative stem)
-yashi (imperative stem)
やしょう (volitional)
-yashō (volitional)
やしない (negative)
やせん (negative)
-yashinai (negative)
-yasen (negative)
やせず (continuative negative)
-yasezu (continuative negative)
やした (perfective)
-yashita (perfective)
やして (conjunctive)
-yashite (conjunctive)


けん

/kemu/ → /kem/ → /ken/
Shift from older けむ (kemu, auxiliary suffix for verbs indicating supposition about the past, including supposition about why something may have happened). This phonological shift was apparently already underway during the Heian period (794–1185).

ja-r

(Classical Japanese) Alternative form of けむ (kemu)


万

From Middle Chinese 萬 (MC mjonH). Compare modern Hokkien 萬／万 (bān).


一

/itɨ/ → /it͡sɨ/ → /it͡ɕɨ/
From Middle Chinese 一 (ʔiɪt̚).
Compare modern Hokkien reading it.

地球の娯楽は宇宙一！

The entertainments on the earth are the best in the universe!

世界一かわいいよ。


一

*/pʲitə/ → ⟨pi₁to₂⟩ → /ɸito/ → /hito/
From Old Japanese 一 (pi₁to₂), from earlier Proto-Japonic *pitə. Cognate with Okinawan 一 (tī)
Related to 二 (futa, “two”), which is its double. Compare 三 (mi, “three”) and 六 (mu, “six”), 四 (yo, “four”) and 八 (ya, “eight”).


円

/maro/ → /maru/
Sound shift from maro above.

Alternative spelling of 丸: prefix to numbers remaining constant

Alternative spelling of 丸: prefix to noun to mean an object is completely in that noun


年

From Middle Chinese 年 (nen, “year”). Compare modern Mandarin reading nián, Hakka ngièn, Cantonese nin⁴.

彼は中学 ２年だ。

He's in the second year in junior high school.

な、なんだおまえら⁉
Na, nan da o-maera⁉
Wh-Who the hell are you!?
１年 １組っ‼ 夏木六三四ぃ‼
Ichi-nen ichi-kumi'‼ Natsuki Musashī‼
Class-1 freshman!! Musashi Natsuki!!
同じく轟嵐子！
Onajiku Todoroki Ranko!

1984 February 15, Motoka Murakami, “１年１組の六三四と嵐子の巻 [Class-1 Freshmen, Musashi and Ranko]”, in 六三四の剣 [Musashi’s Sword], volume 13 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, pages 142–144

2008年に橋を建設し始めるようだ。

It seems like they will start constructing the bridge in (the year) 2008.

Nisenhachi-nen ni hashi o kensetsu shi hajimeru yō da.


c

(teen girl's slang) Alternative spelling of ちゃん (chan)


s

(Internet slang) Alternative spelling of さん (san)


乗

乗 (canonical)
-jō (romanization)
zyou (romanization)
じよう (hiragana historical)

３の３乗は27である。


柄

From Old Japanese. Origin of particle から (kara, “from, because”).

more specifically a sibling from the same mother

the inherent qualities or characteristics of a thing

山柄

the nature or characteristic of a mountain


柄

In light of the stem sense, probably derived semantically from origin, source meanings.
Compare also Korean 가락 (garak), similarly used as a counter for long and slender objects.

describes something with a stem, shaft, or handle

柄臼, 唐臼, 碓

a kind of mortar and pestle with the pestle mounted on a long shaft for leverage


柄

Alteration of kara, “qualities, characteristics”. Originally only found as a suffix. The kara changes to gara as an instance of rendaku (連濁). The rendaku pronunciation was then later used independently.


両

両 (canonical)
ryō- (romanization)
ryau (romanization)
りやう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 兩 (MC ljangX, “two, both”).


亜

亜硫酸

(chemistry) indicates a lower oxidation number: -ous


何

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *n-anu-.

what number, how many (used with a counter)

この広告を何回も見た

(used with も) many (used with a counter)


心

From Old Japanese.
Cognate with 裏 (ura, “inside”) and 浦 (ura, “inlet”).


丼

donburi: a one-bowl meal consisting of a large portion of rice, covered in a meat or fish

親子丼: literally : chicken and egg donburi


会

会 (canonical)
-kai (romanization)
kwai (romanization)
くわい (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 會 (MC hwajH).
The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.


付

BD付


係

→ Indonesian: gakari

カメラ係
kamera-gakari
cameraman

撮影係


住

住 (canonical)
-jū (romanization)
dyuu (romanization)
ぢゆう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 住 (MC drjuH).
The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.

added after a placename to indicate where someone lives


以

以後

その以後

この日以後

「ジャンク・シンクロン」＋チューナー以外のモンスター１体以上

2008 March 15, “ジャンク・ウォリアー [Junk Warrior]”, in STARTER DECK, Konami

“Junk Synchron” plus 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

“Janku Shinkuron” purasu Chūnā igai no monsutā ittai ijō

通常モンスター１体
①：１ターンに１度、自分メインフェイズに発動できる。手札からレベル４以下の通常モンスター１体をこのカードのリンク先に特殊召喚する。
Tsūjō Monsutā ittaī

2017 March 25, “リンク・スパイダー [Link Spider]”, in STARTER DECK, Konami

1 or more Normal Monsters
1: Once per turn, can be activated during your Main Phase. Special Summons 1 Normal Monster of Level 4 or lower from your hand to where this card is linked to.

Chi: Ittān ni ichi-do, jibun Mein Feizu ni hatsudō dekiru. tefuda kara Reberu yon ika no Tsūjō Monsutā ittai o kono kādo no rinku-saki ni Tokushu Shōkan suru.


世

From Middle Chinese 世 (MC syejH). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.


丸

⟨maro₂⟩ → */marə/ → /maru/
Shift from Old Japanese 丸 (maro, see below).


丸

Alternative spelling of 麻呂 (maru): attaches to names of persons or objects expressing dearness


白

⟨sira⟩ → /ɕira/
From Old Japanese.
The combining apophonic form of shiro above, mostly used in compounds.

Combining form of しろ (shiro) above:
white

Combining form of しろ (shiro) above:
undyed, unpainted, unseasoned, etc.

Combining form of しろ (shiro) above:
pure

Combining form of しろ (shiro) above:
innocent

Combining form of しろ (shiro) above:
normal, unspecial


処

Likely related to 処(こ) (-ko, “place”) above.


余

二十余年

その時私は鉄砲洲に住て居て、鉄砲洲から小石川まで頓て二里余もありましょう
sono toki watashi wa Teppōzu ni sumatte ite, Teppōzu kara Koishikawa made yagate niri-yo mo arimashō

1889, 福澤諭吉, 福翁自伝, 青空文庫

I was living in Teppōzu then, and there is likely around two plus ri from Teppōzu to Koishikawa

しかし、いろ／＼合せて、もう千余枚を數へる印畫のアルバムを時折繰眺めるのは、樂く愉快である。

1926, 南部修太郎, 寫眞と思ひ出 ――私の写真修行――, 青空文庫

However, it is fun and delightful to flip through and gaze at my album of prints from time to time, which now number more than one thousand altogether.

Shikashi, iroiro awasete, mō sen-yomai o kazoeru inga no arubamu o tokiori kuri nagameru no wa, tanoshiku yukai de aru.

時折繰眺 ときをりくりなが

over, more than, a little more than, plus, upwards of


厨

A punning phonetic use based on 中坊 (chūbō, “middle school student, noob”, derogatory), a homophone of 厨房 (chūbō, “kitchen”).

ニコ厨

(Internet slang) freak, nerd, -fag, addict


券

券 (canonical)
-ken (romanization)
kwen (romanization)
くゑん (hiragana historical)

/kwen/ → /ken/
From Middle Chinese 券 (MC khjwonH, “ticket”).


副

assistant, sub-, vice-, auxiliary, supplemental


号

号 (canonical)
-gō (romanization)
gau (romanization)
がう (hiragana historical)

（第）六号
(dai)-roku gō
(The) 6th

ordinal marker, often with prefix 第 (used like -st, -nd, -rd, -th in English)


即

即売り切れ

即負け


全

From Middle Chinese 全 (dzjwen, “complete, whole”).


再

ページを再読み込み


作

[d͡zɨkɯ̟ɾʲi]

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 作る (tsukuru, “to make; to build; to work the land, to grow something”), itself from Old Japanese.

庭作り、バラ作り

gardening / garden cultivation, rose cultivation / growing roses

the making of something, particularly as in cultivation


博

医博

万国博


勢

勢 (canonical)
-sei (romanization)
sei (romanization)
せい (hiragana historical)

Derived from Middle Chinese 勢 (MC syejH).

海外勢

CD勢

the type of person who prefers to purchase CDs

音ゲーガチ勢


代

服代

お菓子代

(indicating years spanning a specific period) -ies, -hundreds


半

半年
hantoshi
semiannual

半世紀
hanseiki
semicentennial


半

四倍半

二十二年半


中

ダウンロード中

メンテ中

インストール中

準備中

during..., being in the process of doing...


中

中 (canonical)
-jū (romanization)
dyuu (romanization)
ぢゆう (hiragana historical)

[noun] This term needs a translation to English

世界中

体中


兄

*/kwæi/ → /kʷæi/ → /keː/
From Middle Chinese 兄 (MC xjwaeng).

attaches to a name referencing an older brother figure: Mister, Mr.


別

ジャンル別の映画


団

銀河団

ロケット団

CLAMP 学園探偵団


原

From Middle Chinese 原 (MC ngjwon, “source; origin; beginning”).

ltc-l

原文、原材料

original document, original / raw materials


前

From Old Japanese as a compound of 目 (ma, “eye”) + 方 (pe₁, “direction, -wards”). Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *mapia.
/mape₁/ → /maɸe/ → /mawe/ → /maje/ → /mae/

compound

六人前の御膳

三年前

ずっと前からそう思ってた
zutto mae kara sō omotteta
I've thought that for ages
(literally, “I've been thinking that way since forever ago”)

市役所前

point of interest
point of interest#English

makes place names that refer to the vicinity of a point of interest


前

From Middle Chinese 前 (MC dzen). Compare modern Mandarin 前 (qián).


前

まさしく、三年前に失くしたおじいさんのくれたバイオリンでありました。

It was truly the violin that he had lost three years ago, that the old man had given to him.

Masashiku, sannenzen ni nakushita ojīsan no kureta baiorin de arimashita.

今度の戦争前、このロイド・ジョウジ氏が田舎へ往って政治演説をしていた事があった。

Before this war, the forementioned Mr Lloyd George went to the countryside and gave a political speech.

Kondo no sensōzen, kono roido jōji shi ga inaka e itte seiji enzetsu o shiteita koto ga atta.

政治演説 せいじえんぜつ


前

Contraction of 御(ご)前(ぜ) (goze), itself a contraction of 御(ご)前(ぜん) (go-zen), an honorific form of address.

尼前

(rare) an honorific suffix added to a noun denoting a person


共

送料共

including shipping fees, including postage


共

indicates plural:
when attached to a human noun

「まづ、女房出でね」とて、童の姿どものをかしげなるを御覧ず。いとらうたげなる髪どものすそ、 […]
“Mazu, niyōbau idene” tote, waraha no sugata domo no okashige naru o goran zu. Ito rautage naru kami domo no suso, […]

c. 1001–1014, Murasaki Shikibu, Genji Monogatari (Aoi)

"Starting with the court girls", he said, looking at the young servants' pretty forms. The beautiful tips of their hairs, […]

(Classical Japanese) when attached to any noun

indicates plural:
when attached to any noun


初

table
⟨patu⟩ → /ɸat͡su/ → /hat͡su/
From Old Japanese.
Possible cognates include 始め (hajime, “beginning”) and 端 (ha, “edge of something”).


初

初 (canonical)
ui- (romanization)
ufi (romanization)
うひ (hiragana historical)

table
/uɸi/ → /uwi/ → /ui/
First attested in the Kokin Wakashū of roughly 905-914 CE, and assumed to be inherited from Old Japanese.
There is an apparently related term 初 (ubu) of overlapping synonymous meaning, first attested in the early 1000s. It is unclear how these two terms are related: one might be a derivation of the other, or the two might derive separately via other processes.
Both ui and ubu appear to be related to verb 生む (umu, “to birth”), from the sense of "first of something since one has been born".
Martin suggests that this might be a fusion of 生む (umu, “to birth”) + 日 (hi, “day”), literally “birthday”. However, the meaning of any such compound would be the noun birthday with a sense of "the day a woman gives birth" rather than "the day someone is born". Also, phonologically, this would be expected to result in ubi: /umu/ + /pi/ → /umupi/ → /umpi/ → /ubi/.
Possibly cognate with 上 (ue, “above”, possibly via the sense of "upstream → earlier") or classical verb 生ふ (ancient opu, classical ofu, modern ou, “to grow”).


化

化 (canonical)
-ka (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)

-ization, -ification; action of making something that way


唐

From 伽羅, a proper name from ancient Korean Peninsula.
Originally meant "China" during the Tang dynasty and "elements imported from China", then later expanded to mean "foreign lands in general" and "elements imported from foreign lands".

漢詩、唐歌、唐揚げ、漢音
karauta, karauta, karaage, karagoe
Chinese-style poetry (as opposed to formal waka Japanese-style poetry), Chinese-style poetry, deep-fried chicken or fish (a style introduced by Europeans in the 1600s), "Chinese voice" → the kan'on or Chinese-derived reading for a character

element in compounds, referring to things imported from China or from other foreign lands


型

Noun senses are attested from the 8th century, with suffix use later. See 形(かた) (kata). Compare also 姿(すがた) (sugata, “appearance, likeness”), 模(かたぎ) (katagi, “model, pattern, template”).

ja-r

血液型

ハート型


匙

From Middle Chinese 匙 (zhiɛ, “spoon”). The goon, so likely the earliest borrowing from Middle Chinese.

香匙

a spoon or scoop used to scoop out incense


匙

From Middle Chinese 匙 (zhiɛ, “spoon”). The kan'on, so a later borrowing. Compare modern Cantonese 匙 (ci⁴), Min Nan 匙 (sî).

鑰匙: a key

from the vague similarity in shape to a spoon, with the bowl of the spoon as the handle of the key


員

員 (canonical)
-in (romanization)
ゐん (hiragana historical)

公務員


味

From Middle Chinese 味 (MC mj+jH).
Also used in Old Japanese as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨mi₂⟩.


右

From Middle Chinese 右 (MC hjuwX).
The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.

右衛門

右大臣

(history, government) "of the right", junior or subordinate to 左 (sa-, “of the left”)


名

From Middle Chinese 名 (MC mjieng, “name”).


同

仝, 々


元

⟨mo₂to₂⟩ → /moto/
From Old Japanese. Cited to the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *mətə. Cognate with Okinawan 元 (mutu).

元カレ、元カノ

プロジェクトの元・担当者の田中氏

purojekuto no moto tantōsha no Tanaka-shi


不

不 (canonical)
不 (canonical)
fu- (romanization)
bu- (romanization)

不用心 (buyōjin, “careless, insecurity”)

不評 (fuhyō, “unpopularity, bad reputation”)


塔

塔 (canonical)
-tō (romanization)
tafu (romanization)
たふ (hiragana historical)

/tapu/ → /taɸu/ → */tawu/ → /tau/ → /tɔː/ → /toː/
From Middle Chinese 塔 (MC thap, “tower, pagoda, spire”).
An abbreviation for 卒塔婆 (sotoba, sotōba), a transliteration of Sanskrit स्तूप (stūpa, “heap”).


器

From Middle Chinese 器 (khijᴴ, “vessel; instrument”).

印字器: a printer

a smaller device, such as a handheld number and letter puncher


学

From Middle Chinese 學 (MC haewk, “learning”).
The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.


完

完 (canonical)
-kan (romanization)
kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)


岳

岳 (canonical)
岳 (canonical)
-take (romanization)
-dake (romanization)

Directly cognate with 丈 (take, “height”). Indirectly cognate with 高 (taka, “height”), 高い (takai, “high”), and 長ける (takeru, “to be high”).

乗鞍岳


多

多言語辞書


廃

From Sinitic. Shortening of 廃人 (haijin), a back-formation from ネトゲ廃人 (netoge haijin, “slang: online games addict”).


寸

(archaic) unit used in ancient times to measure lengths of horses


場

場 (canonical)
-jō (romanization)
dyau (romanization)
ぢやう (hiragana historical)

table
/djau/ → /d͡ʑoː/ ↔ /ʑoː/
From Middle Chinese 場 (MC drjang). Appears as a suffixing element in compounds since the early 700s. First cited as a standalone noun in the 太平記 (Taiheiki) of the late 1300s.


太

太箸

special fat chopsticks used at New Years

; text here
奈加等美乃 敷刀能里⟨等其⟩等 伊比波良倍 安⟨賀⟩布伊能知毛 多我多米尓奈礼
中臣の 太祝詞言 言ひ祓へ 贖ふ命も 誰がために汝れ
なかとみの ふとのりとごと いひはらへ あかふいのちも たがためになれ
Nakatomi no / futonoritogoto / iiharae / akau inochi mo / ta ga tame ni nare
Reciting the Nakatomi's excellent ritual offering, whose [long] life was prayed for? Yours.

added to words describing gods or the emperor or other exalted subjects to denote greatness or excellence

太腿、太箸

the thigh (the thick part of the leg), fat chopsticks (used at New Years)

added to regular nouns to denote fatness or thickness


太

From Middle Chinese 太 (thajH). Compare modern Mandarin 太 (tài).


太

From a colloquial form of 太 in Middle Chinese. Compare the similar corruption in Mandarin 大 (dà).


屎

⟨kuso₁⟩ → /kuso/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kusau. Cognate with 臭い (kusai, “stinky, smelly”), 腐る (kusaru, “to rot, to become stinky”).

屎爺い
kusojijī
crappy old man


屎

下手屎

crappy bad at something; to be shit at doing something

襤褸屎


外

外 (canonical)
-gai (romanization)
gwai (romanization)
ぐわい (hiragana historical)


州

州 (canonical)
-shū (romanization)
siu (romanization)
しう (hiragana historical)


地

From Middle Chinese 地 (dijᴴ). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing. The devoicing of the initial consonant might indicate a dialectal source. Compare modern Hakka thi, Min Nan tī.


弁

彼女はコテコテの関西弁を話す。

She speaks Kansai dialect with a strong accent.

Kanojo wa kotekote no Kansaiben o hanasu.


従

従一位

従三位

従九位

(history) "junior" ranking for 位 (-i, “Japanese courtier rank”)


役

From Middle Chinese 役 (MC ywek). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.

涼宮ハルヒ役の平野綾さん
Suzumiya Haruhi-yaku no Hirano Aya-san
Aya Hirano, who voices Haruhi Suzumiya


尻

From Old Japanese, in turn from Proto-Japonic *siri. Ultimate derivation unknown.
The use as a suffixing element in surnames is of unclear derivation. Many of these surnames may derive from place names, in which case the "behind, the end" sense may be the origin. However, other surnames have no clear geographic derivation.

田尻、沼尻、沢尻 (Tashiri / Tajiri, Numashiri / Numajiri, Sawajiri)


庵

/am/ → /amu/ → /aɴ/
From Middle Chinese 庵 (MC 'om).


弱

１時間弱

NHK放送文化研究所 w:ja:NHK放送文化研究所


屋

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *ya.

パン屋

寿司屋

パン屋

パン屋さん

寿司屋

殺し屋 ― koroshiya ― hitman

someone who sells or does that thing; -ist

頑張り屋

分からず屋

気取り屋


左

左衛門

左大臣

(history, government) "of the left", senior or superior to 右 (u-, “of the right”)


幾

幾箱要りますか。

幾千と云う人

some, several, having an indefinite number or quantity

幾日も行っていた。

some, many, having a considerable number


幸

From Old Japanese. Possibly cognate with Korean 살 (sal, “arrow”). Possibly also related with saki above.
The kanji may have originally been applied to this word for the source Chinese term's associations with good fortune.
This is the bound form of sachi above. This form is only ever used in compounds. Possibly the original form.

幸矢、幸弓、幸人

a hunting arrow, a hunting bow, a hunter


幼

prefixed to a noun: childish, immature, infantile


性

From Middle Chinese 性 (MC sjengH, “nature of something, inherent quality”).
The kan'on, so a later borrowing.

ltc-l

-ity, -ness, the nature of quality or something


弓

table
From Old Japanese. In modern Japanese, only found as a prefix in compounds.


形

table
Derived from kata above. The kata changes to gata as an instance of rendaku (連濁). Found most commonly as a suffixing element in compounds.
The standalone noun sense was originally a shortening of 女形 (onnagata, literally “woman form”), a female role played by a male actor in kabuki theater. This noun sense is only spelled with the 形 kanji.

渦巻き形

卵形

(affixed to nouns): the shape or form of the affixed noun

学者形

英雄形

(affixed to on'yomi nouns): a typical example of the affixed noun; the type of the affixed noun


形

table
From Middle Chinese 形 (MC heng). Compare modern Mandarin 形 (xíng). The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing.

過去形

将来形

連用形

命令形

(Japanese grammar) a conjugation form of a verb


形

Kyūjitai
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Shinjitai

table
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
From 成り (nari), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of the verb 成る (naru, “to become”).
First attested as a suffix on a noun in the 曾我物語 (Soga Mongatari), of uncertain dating but probably in the late 1300s. As a suffix on a verb stem, first attested from 1927.

人々が言いなりになった

following the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of a verb, indicates the state of the affixed verb or phrase: compare English just as

子供なりに想像する

imagine in a way fitting for a child / imagine like a child (implies that the subject is a child)

自分なりの判断

my own kind of decision / deciding in my own way

following a noun, indicates a state fitting or becoming to the affixed noun

弓なりになる

to become bow-shaped / to become like a bow

following a noun, indicates that shape or form: compare English like


度

喰らえ 五千百度の炎 ブレイズオブグローリイィ‼

2005 November 9, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “武装錬金ファイナル [Armed Alchemy: The Final Act]”, in 武装錬金 [Armed Alchemy], volume 9, Tokyo: Shueisha

Take this 5,100-degree flame, Blaze of Glory!!

Kurae gosenhyaku-do no honō Bureizu obu Gurōriyi‼


御

/oɴ/ → /o/
Shift from on- below.
Already apparent since the 14th century.

indicates that the [word] is honorific; often used to indicate that the [word] belongs or is related to the listener (as opposed to the speaker)


御

Early Middle Japanese
Late Middle Japanese

/oɸomʉ/ → /owomʉ/ → /oːɴ/ → /oɴ/
Early-Late Middle Japanese shift from ōn- below.


御

御 (canonical)
ōn- (romanization)
ofon (romanization)
おほん (hiragana historical)
おおむ (alternative hiragana)
ōmu- (Rōmaji alternative hiragana)
おほむ (alternative hiragana historical)

⟨opomi₁⟩ → */opomʲɨ/*/əpəmʲɨ/ → /oɸomʉ/ → /owoɴ/ → /oːɴ/
First attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE), as man'yōgana form 於保无 (opomu- → ōmu-) within 於保无太加良 (opomutakara → ōmutakara, “people”, as a kun reading of 人民).
Shift from Old Japanese 大御 (⟨opomi₁⟩ → ōmi-, prefix of maximum honorific).
Both ōmu- and ōn- readings likely existed in free variation until the development of the ん (n) grapheme.

inh

(obsolete) indicates that the [word] is honorific; often used to indicate that the [word] belongs or is related to the listener (as opposed to the speaker)


御

⟨mi₁⟩ → */mʲi/ → /mi/
From Old Japanese.
Cognate with 霊, 神 (mi, “spirit, god”), as this prefix was originally used to refer to gods and other spiritually important things.

御明

oil lamp lit for Shinto or Buddhist purposes

命

mikoto, title used for gods and emperors, and other exalted personages

御許

mimoto, location of a god, Buddha, emperor, or other object of reverence

御座

mimashi, presence of a god, Buddha, emperor, or other object of reverence

(honorific, archaic) added to gods and other spiritually important things

(honorific, archaic) added to nouns to indicate godlike respect

(honorific, archaic) added to placenames to emphasize beauty


御

From Middle Chinese 御 (MC ngjoH).
The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.


御

Short form of 御前 (gozen, “noble person”).

(honorific) indicates that the [word] is familiar to the speaker and slightly honorific

女御

high-ranking court lady of the inner palace court


御

From Middle Chinese 御 (MC ngjoH).
The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.

prefixed to make an honorific kanji compound, especially used to indicate that the [word] belongs or is related to the emperor and/or the equivalents


御

suffixed to make an honorific kanji compound which means the action belongs or is related to the emperor and/or the equivalents


探

1947, Ango Sakaguchi, 『二十七歳』
独探のケンギを受けて、大正五年だかに国外退去を命じられたという。
Doku-tan no kengi o ukete, Taishō go-nen daka ni kokugai taikyo o meijirareta to iu.
[He was] accused of being a German spy and was officially deported in some time around 1916, as the story goes.


掌

掌 (canonical)
-shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

条拳法 八卦六十四掌
Jūkenpō Hakke Rokujūyonshō
Jūkenpō: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms

これがこの赤を師兵の頂点たらしめる炎だッ!!!我龍双煉掌
Kore ga kono Seki o Sūpei no chōten tarashimeru honō da'!!! Garyū Sōrenshō

2003 September 22, Akinobu Uraku, “第60話 少女の決意 [Chapter 60: A Girl’s Resolve]”, in 東京アンダーグラウンド [Tokyo Underground], volume 11 (fiction), Square Enix, pages 30–31

This is the flame that helped put me, Seki, at the top of the Supei!!! Garyū Sōrenshō

(martial arts) used in the names of moves that involve hitting and pushing hard with the palm


常

⟨to₂ko₂⟩ → */təkə/ → /toko/
From Old Japanese. Possibly cognate with 時 (toki, “time”).
The way the term is used in the historical record suggests that this was originally a noun. By the time of written Japanese, however, this term only appears in compounds, never on its own, and its usage is more as an adjective to modify other nouns.

eternal, forever, unchanging, everlasting


後

From Middle Chinese 後 (huwX, huwH, “after”).


後

From Middle Chinese 後 (huwX, “after”). Classified as the kan'on, so likely a later borrowing. Compare modern Mandarin reading hòu.

prefixing element in kanji compounds, adding a meaning of later, after, following, rearward


旧

旧 (canonical)
kyū- (romanization)
kiu (romanization)
きう (hiragana historical)

Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church)

世界平和統一家庭連合（旧統一教会） Sekai Heiwa Tōitsu Katei Rengō (kyū-Tōitsu Kyōkai)

世界平和統一家庭連合 せかいへいわとういつかていれんごう

統一教会 とういつきょうかい

旧Twitter


拳

From Middle Chinese 拳 (MC gjwen).
The standalone noun senses are first cited to texts from the 1500s.

蟷螂拳

太極拳
taikyokuken
tai chi

波動拳

やつの目的はおそらく、山千拳と対をなす海千拳の秘伝書。
Yatsu no mokuteki wa osoraku, Yamasenken to tsui o nasu Umisenken no hidensho.
He must be looking for the scroll for Umisenken, the antithesis of Yamasenken.
海千拳？
Umisenken?

1999 February 20 [1994 April 15], Rumiko Takahashi, “ＰＡＲＴ.２ [海](うみ)[千](せん)[拳](けん)と[山](やま)[千](せん)[拳](けん) [PART.2 Umisenken and Yamasenken]”, in らんま½ [Ranma ½], 10th edition, volume 28 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan

今度はこっちの番だソウビ‼
Kondo wa kotchi no ban da Sōbi‼
It’s my turn now, Sōbi‼
む
Mu
Mm?
通‥‥背‥‥拳‼‼
Tsū‥‥hai‥‥ken‼‼
Tong‥‥bei‥‥quan‼‼
通背拳⁉吊り橋でみせたあの技で 水を‥‥‼
Tsūhaiken⁉ Tsurihashi de miseta ano waza de Mizu o‥‥‼

2000 December 20 [1999 May 17], Maekawa, Takeshi, “水面の戦いの巻 [Water Struggle]”, in 新鉄拳チンミ [New Ironfist Chinmi], 2nd edition, volume 6 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, pages 158–161

Tongbeiquan⁉ I saw him use this move at the suspension bridge, but now on water‥‥⁉

ペガサス流星拳‼

2001 January 23, Masami Kurumada, “女神の聖闘士の巻 [Athena’s Saints]”, in Saint星矢 [Saint Seiya], volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, page 60

直撃！ブラボー拳‼

2004 September 8, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “第36話 カーニバル［祭］ [Chapter 36: Carnival]”, in 武装錬金 [Armed Alchemy], volume 4, Tokyo: Shueisha

(martial arts) used in the names of styles, or moves that involve punching


曽

Japanese shinjitai Simplified from 曾, used in compound characters such as 増 (from 増).


女

女 (canonical)
-jo (romanization)
dyo (romanization)
ぢよ (hiragana historical)

/dɨo/ → /d͡ʑo/
From Middle Chinese 女 (MC nrjoX|nrjoH).

(historical) suffixed to names of female figures in the Edo period


斎

From Old Japanese. Possibly a doublet of 斎 (yu) below.

(Shinto) added to spiritual nouns to indicate purity and holiness: holy, pure, sacred


改

チヌ改
chi-nu-kai
Chi-Nu Kai

Wheeled Armoured Vehicle (Improved)

装輪装甲車 そうりんそうこうしゃ


杉

(Internet slang, dated) Alternative spelling of 過ぎ (“excessively, form of 過ぎる (sugiru)”)


所

所為

that, what is done; deed; cause; reason; fault


大

大ピンチ

大ヒットする


大

東大

阪大

北大 ― Hokudai ― Hokkaido Univ.

北陸大 ― Hokurikudai ― Hokuriku Univ.

Abbreviation of 大学 (daigaku, “university”).

大小

various sizes; large and small; a pair of swords worn together

大前庭腺

大前庭腺 だいぜんていせん


大

大 (canonical)
ō- (romanization)
ofo (romanization)
おほ (hiragana historical)

/opo/ → /ofo/ → /owo/ → /oː/
From Old Japanese 大 (opo), from Proto-Japonic *əpə.

大馬鹿な


平

⟨pi₁ra⟩ → /pʲira/ → /ɸira/ → /hira/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pira.

connects to a noun


来

From Middle Chinese 來 (MC loj).
Compare modern Mandarin 來／来 (lái).


来

この二、三年来、私は青森市へ二、三度行ったが...

I went to Aomori two or three times in the past two or three years...
(please add an English translation of this quotation)

Kono ni, sannen-rai, watashi wa Aomori-shi e ni, sando itta ga


旅

旅 (canonical)
ryo- (romanization)
ryo (romanization)
りよ (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 旅 (MC ljoX, “a military unit of 500 men; to go [on a sortie; on a trip or journey]”).

ltc-l

a military unit of 500 men; to go 􂀿on a sortie; on a trip or journey􂁀


期

From Middle Chinese 期 (MC gi, “period of time”).

反抗期

「進撃の巨人」の二期


教

教 (canonical)
-kyō (romanization)
keu (romanization)
けう (hiragana historical)

/keu/ → /kjoː/
From Middle Chinese 教 (MC kaew|kaewH, “to teach, to instruct”).


株

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kampu. Cognate with Kunigami 株 (khabū), Northern Amami Ōshima 株 (gabu), Okinawan 株 (kabu).

Abbreviation for 株(かぶ)式(しき)会(がい)社(しゃ) (kabushiki gaisha, “stock company”); inc.


末

From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).
First attested in Japanese in 1120.


某

某大学

certain (denoting that the speaker is referring to a specific person or thing that they do not want to name directly, implying that the listener should infer the identity of the referent)


歳

歳 (canonical)
歳 (canonical)
-sai (romanization)

From Middle Chinese 歳. First attested in Japanese in the early 800s.

十四歳


毎

毎金曜日

1 V/m (one volt per meter)

1 V/m（１ボルト毎メートル） 1 V/m(ichi boruto mai-mētoru)


家

From Middle Chinese 家 (MC kae).
The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”), so likely a latter borrowing from Middle Chinese.


家

From Middle Chinese 家 (MC kae).
The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”), so likely the initial borrowing from Middle Chinese.

平家


柱

柱 (canonical)
-chū (romanization)
tyuu (romanization)
ちゆう (hiragana historical)


小

小 (canonical)
shō- (romanization)
seu (romanization)
せう (hiragana historical)

/seu/ → /ɕeu/ → /ɕoː/
From Middle Chinese 小 (MC sjewX).
The suffix sense is a clipping of 小学校 (shōgakkō, “elementary school”).


小

小 (canonical)
-shō (romanization)
seu (romanization)
せう (hiragana historical)

佃小

suffix after names of elementary schools


小

/ko₁/ → /ko/
From the Old Japanese stem こ (ko-). Cognate with 子 (ko, “child”).

less in size or quantity, small, little, short

of secondary importance, secondary, sub-


小

小 (canonical)
o- (romanization)
wo (romanization)
を (hiragana historical)

/wo/ → /o/
From the Old Japanese stem を (wo-), modern お (o-).

小川 (ogawa, “creek”, literally "small river")

小舟 (obune, “small boat”)

attached to certain nouns:
small in shape or scale

小田 (Oda, literally, "small rice paddy")

小野 (Ono, literally, "small field")

attached to certain names to give expression or feelings

小止みなく降る雨 (oyaminaku furu ame)

小暗い道 (ogurai michi)

used proverbially to represent "small" or "slight"


小

小 (canonical)
小 (canonical)
sasa- (romanization)
saza- (romanization)

From the Old Japanese stem ささ (sasa-), found in terms such as 笹 (sasa, “bamboo grass”), 囁く (sasayaku, “to whisper”), and 些か (isasaka, “a little”), all related to small or slight.
Saza appears to be a later derivation from sasa.

attached to certain nouns to mean:
small

attached to certain nouns to mean:
slight


汎

Phono-semantic matching of English pan-.


汎

汎太平洋


段

(after a number) -th rank; -th degree black belt (in karate, judo, etc)

は行う段

row ha, section u (of consonant /h/ and vowel /u/)

a section (horizontal line) in the gojūon table, which consists of kana that have or historically have had the same vowel

(typography, newspapers) a unit in newspaper typesetting, equal to 1408 mils, ¹⁴⁰⁸⁄₁₀₀₀ in, 128 U (U) and 16 倍 (bai)


歩

in measuring 町 (chō, “block”), 段 (tan, “300 bu/tsubo”), etc., indicates no decimal points added; compare English even, precisely


歿

Antonyms : 生 (sei, “born in”)


殿

The tono changes to dono as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Mr., Ms., a more formal title than さん (-san) but not so respectful as 様(さま) (-sama)


気

From Middle Chinese 氣 (MC khj+jH).
The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing. Compare Eastern Min 氣／气 (ké).
In Old Japanese, this kanji is used to transcribe the 借音 (shakuon) kana of ⟨ke₂⟩.


氏

部分テレポートさせた剣氏のガン細胞。

1997 September 1 [1996 October 10], Fujiko F. Fujio, “くたばれ評論家 の巻 [The Drop-Dead Critic]”, in エスパー魔美 [Esper Mami], 4th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 157

These are the cancer cells I teleported out of Mr. Tsurugi.

Bubun terepōto saseta Tsurugi-shi no gan saibō.


時

Kojiki
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Old Japanese language

⟨to₂ki₁⟩ → */təkʲi/ → /toki/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *təki. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.
There are various theories regarding the ultimate derivation.
* Possibly a fusion of 常 (toko-, prefix for “always, unchanging”) + い (i, Old Japanese nominal particle).
: However, the sense of “unchanging” does not fit well with the sense of “the passing of time”. Separately, the phonetics of Old Japanese ⟨ki₁⟩ → /kʲi/ appear to contraindicate a fusion of /ko/ + /i/, which resulted in ⟨ki₂⟩ → /kʷi/ as seen at 木.
* Possibly derived from or otherwise related to 疾し (toshi, “sharp; happening quickly”), cognate with 研ぐ (togu, “to sharpen”).
: However, the historical spelling of toshi was to₁(si), as in 那杼佐祁流斗米 (nado₁ sake₁ru to₁ me₂, "why do you have knife cutting eyes").
* Possibly related to 年 (toshi, “year”).


時

/ʑi/ → /ʑi//d͡ʑi/
From Middle Chinese 時 (MC dzyi).


方

書き方

way of writing something; how to write something

使い方

way of using something; how to use something


方

方 (canonical)
-e (romanization)
fe (romanization)
へ (hiragana historical)

a suffix expressing location, direction, or time


派

猫派

あなたはいぬ派、それともねこ派？
Anata wa inu-ha, soretomo neko-ha?
Do you prefer dogs or cats?

literally, “Are you on the dog-side/group or on the cat-side/group?”

group, faction, (political) wing, school


民

民 (canonical)
-min (romanization)
みん (hiragana historical)

なんJ民

one who frequents the 2channel NanJ board

(Internet slang, dated) regular of a certain social website or website section


山

table
From Old Japanese 山 (yama). First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.
Reconstructed as deriving in turn from Proto-Japonic *yama (“mountain; forest”).

inh

prefix for species that are wild or residing in mountains


山

table
From Middle Chinese 山 (MC srean).
Sometimes spelled with rendaku (連濁), as -zan.

Mount, Mt.
suffix for names of mountains

suffix for a temple's honorific mountain name (山号 (sangō))


準

準 (canonical)
jun- (romanization)
zyun (romanization)
じゆん (hiragana historical)

準一級

準一級 じゅんいっきゅう

準優勝

準優勝 じゅんゆうしょう


機

From Middle Chinese 機／机 (kjɨj, “mechanism; opportunity, chance”). Compare modern Min Nan reading ki.

戦闘機


新

/sin/ → /ɕin/
From Middle Chinese 新 (MC sin).
Compare modern Mandarin 新 (xīn), Hakka 新 (sîn), Min Nan 新 (sin), and Wu 新 (¹shin).

新元号

新世界

新約聖書

新鉄拳チンミ
Shin Tekken Chinmi
New Ironfist Chinmi

attached to the title of a fiction work to mean “new storyline”, to distinguish it from older works

Lois & Clark 新スーパーマン
Lois & Clark Shin Sūpāman
Lois & Clark: New Superman

attached to the title of a fiction adaptation to mean “remake”, to distinguish it from older adaptations


新

⟨nipi₁⟩ → /nipʲi/ → /nifi/ → /niwi/ → /niː/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *nipi.


新

From Old Japanese.
Extension of 粗, 荒 (ara, “crude, raw”).


次

/si/ → /ʑi/ → /d͡ʑi/
Sound shift from shi above.

次位、次長

(attached to nouns) the next, secondary, vice-

亜塩素酸、次亜塩素酸、亜臭素酸、次亜臭素酸
aenso san, jiaenso san, ashūso san, jiashūso san
chlorous acid, hypochlorous acid, bromous acid, hypobromous acid

(chemistry) hypo- (used to distinguish the oxidation levels of various acids)


状

ja-pos

状(じょう) • (-jō)


手

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *tay. Compare 目 (me, ma-, “eye”).

手早い、手堅い

strengthens the prefixed adjective or adjectival noun


手

語り手

使い手

one who does the previous word's action: -ist, -er

(board games) counter for moves in shogi, go, etc.


星

From Middle Chinese 星 (MC seng).
The Singapore sense derives from the pre-World War Two kanji spelling 星加坡 (modern kanji spelling 新加坡) as borrowed from Chinese, itself a transliteration of Malay Singapura.

——あ、わたくしマキシムＡＧＦです。リプトン星からやってまいりました。地球の寒さにおどろいてます。どぞよろしく。
——A, watakushi Makishimu Ējīefu desu. Riputon-sei kara yatte mairimashita. Chikyū no samusa ni odoroitemasu. Dozo yoroshiku.

1996 February 20 [1988 February 15], Mitsuru Adachi, “なにがなんだか 前編 [What’s What: First Chapter]”, in SHORT PROGRAM [SHORT PROGRAM], 25th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 256

——Oh, my name is Maxim AGF. I came here from planet Lipton. I’m still taken aback by Earth’s coldness. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.

(loosely, especially fiction) attached to names of planets


本

本大会

本山葵

real wasabi (as opposed to horseradish or other substitutes)

本大臣

the cabinet member (on whose behalf a proxy speaks)


狛

indicates something that was originally imported via the Korean Peninsula


版

短縮版

第四版


子

⟨ko₁⟩ → */kʷo/ → /ko/
From Old Japanese, attested in the Kojiki (712 CE) and the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE), two of the oldest examples of written Japanese.
Cognate with 蚕 (ko, “silkworm”) and possibly 小 (ko, “little”, diminutive prefix).
Possibly cognate with Goguryeo 仇 (*gu), which appears in an ancient place name with an apparent meaning of child.

子会社 (kogaisha): derivative + company → a subsidiary

子犬 (koinu): derivative + dog → a puppy

an object which has a subservient or derivative role relative to another object


子

suffix used in female given names, such as 智子 (Tomoko), 英子 (Eiko), 秀子 (Hideko), 美奈子 (Minako), 有希子 (Yukiko)

振子 (furiko): an object that swings → a pendulum

an object having a particular state or property (sometimes diminutive)

明太子 (mentaiko, “pollock roe”)

飛子 (tobiko, “flying fish roe”)

roe (only when preceded by a fish name, or fish-related prefix)


炎

/emʉ/ → /eɴ/
From Middle Chinese 炎 (MC hjem).


然

indicates a state (no specific semantic content)


海

From Old Japanese. Thought to be comprised of う (u-, stem indicating “ocean”) + な (na, ancient alternative form of the possessive particle の (no)). The u- stem is also evident in 魚 (uo, “fish”) and 潮 (ushio, “salt water; tide”).
First cited to the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.


犯

/pɨɐm/ → /pamʉ/ → /famʉ/ → /haɴ/
From Middle Chinese, 犯 (MC bjomX).


熊

熊 (canonical)
熊 (canonical)
kuma (romanization)

From Old Japanese. First cited in the Kojiki of 712.
Further derivation is uncertain. Possibilities include:
* Might be cognate with Japanese 隈 (kuma, “inside corner; inner bend; hollow or hole in something”), perhaps from the way that bears often live in dens.
* Might also or separately be cognate with Middle Korean 곰〯 (kwǒm, “bear”), whose archaic form */koma/ is preserved as the first element of the toponym 고마〮ᄂᆞᄅᆞ (Kwòmánòlò, literally “Bear-ford”). Thus, a cognate of Korean 곰 (gom, “bear”) and Baekje 金馬 (*kəma/*kuma, “bear”).
* Might be an areal Wanderwort, borrowed from Old Chinese 熊 (OC *ɢʷlɯm) and ultimately deriving from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d-wam. See also the etymology notes in the *d-wam entry.

cog

prefixed to other nouns for animals or plants to indicate large size or great strength, relative to other varieties


正

正一位

正三位

正九位

(history) "senior" ranking for 位 (-i, “Japanese courtier rank”)


症

(medicine) attached to the names of conditions


画

風景画

静物画

西洋画

日本画

画餅

something useless; picture of rice cakes

画竜点睛

finishing touches; adding the eyes to a painting of a dragon


猛

猛 (canonical)
mō- (romanization)
mau (romanization)
まう (hiragana historical)

猛ダッシュ

猛アタック

猛勉強


町

From Old Japanese, with the original meaning of "plot of land"; in turn, likely borrowed from an ancestor to Middle Korean 맡 (math, “field”).
All Japanese etymological theories base the etymology on the meaning of "town; section of a castle town", typically using 道 (chi, michi, “road”), but a Korean borrowing is more plausible given the earlier semantics in Old Japanese.

A Machi district; more detailed than 都, 道, 府, 県.


町

町 (canonical)
-chō (romanization)
tyau (romanization)
ちやう (hiragana historical)

A Chō district; more detailed than 市, 区.


砲

砲 (canonical)
-hō (romanization)
fau (romanization)
はう (hiragana historical)

/pau/ → /ɸau/ → /ɸɔː/ → /ɸoː/ → /hoː/
From Middle Chinese 炮 (MC phaewH).


環

環 (canonical)
kan- (romanization)
kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)


着

From the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 着る. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *ki. The ki changes to gi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


熱

(informal) passion; mania; fever (towards an activity or topic)


物

物 (canonical)
物 (canonical)
-mono (romanization)

⟨mo₂no₂⟩ → ⟨mono₂⟩ → /mono/
From Old Japanese. Attested in the Kojiki. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *mənə.

密室モノ

探偵もののドラマ

冒険ものです。


片

Alexander Vovin
Daijirin
Heian period
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kata-. First cited in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
Alexander Vovin asserts it's a loanword from Old Korean; compare Old Korean 一等 (*HAton, “one”). However, Vovin's source for the Koreanic term is a document that is over 500 years newer than the first Japonic mention; it would have to be an even earlier borrowing into Japanese.
Japanese sources describe this as cognate with 方(かた) (kata, “side, direction”). However, the pitch accents differ: compounds starting with 片 show accent in the Heian period, in contrast to 方, which is recorded with a accent instead, suggesting no direct relationship between the two.
Alternatively, 肩(かた) (kata, “shoulder”) might be a more likely cognate given that term's matching accent and compounds also indicating homonymy: compare 傾(かた)げる (katageru, “to tilt, to incline”), 担(かた)げる (katageru, “to carry on one’s shoulder”). Also, accent comparison might support that this word derives from the verb root 勝(か)つ (katsu, “to win; to tend to”) or 搗(か)つ (katsu, “to pound”) (both have an accent), and adverb 且(か)つ (katsu, “besides; moreover; also; and”) which has an accent.

ja-r

片手、片身

(prefixed to a noun) one side or part of a pair or larger set

片思い、傾ける

one-sided thoughts / unrequited affection (as between two people), to lean to one side

片山、片時、片笑む

a small mountain, a short time, to smile slightly

(prefixed to a noun or verb) incomplete, partial, small

片田舎

(prefixed to a noun) leaning or trending that way (emphasizing the quality of the prefixed noun)

片設く

(prefixed to a verb, archaic) frequently, intently, earnestly


用

家庭用石鹸、散歩用のブーツ、非常用

soap for household use, boots for [the purpose of] walking, in case of emergency

kateiyō sekken, sanpoyō no būtsu, hijōyō

for the use of, for the purpose of, in case of


無

From Middle Chinese 無 (MC mju). The 呉音 (goon), so likely an earlier borrowing.


無

From Middle Chinese 無 (bu). The 漢音 (kan'on), so likely a later borrowing.


省

省 (canonical)
shō- (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 省 (MC srjaengX|sjengX).

省エネルギー

省時間


省

省 (canonical)
-shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)


番

番 (canonical)
-ban (romanization)
ばん (hiragana historical)

一番

二番

(applied to numerals) -th: forms ordinal numerals

2番の歌詞


社

毎日新聞社

Note: when in parentheses, it is an abbreviation of 社団法人 (shadan hōjin), a type of incorporated association.

(historical, Taiwan under Japanese rule, specifically) aboriginal settlement


病

From Middle Chinese 病 (MC bjaengH, “disease, illness”).


継

継子

step-; half- (related through only one parent)


続

(literature and other media) next installment


総

総工費


組

Continuative form of 組む (kumu, “to assemble”)


皇

/sume/ → /sube/
From Old Japanese, as a shift from older sume.
Previously thought to be derived as the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of Old Japanese verb 統ぶ (subu), modern 統べる (suberu, “to control, to govern, to rule”). However, later research into ancient phonetic spellings clarified that the be portion of the verb was realized as ⟨be₂⟩. During the Old Japanese stage, ⟨be₂⟩ could only have derived phonetically from ⟨me₂⟩, and not from the ⟨me₁⟩ syllable of the noun.

Empress (regnant)
empress regnant#English

(archaic) prefix of praise and respect, usually towards 神 (kami, “Shinto deities”) or 天皇 (tennō, “Emperor or Empress (regnant) of Japan”):


皇

⟨sume₁⟩ → */sumʲe/ → /sume/
From Old Japanese. Appears to be the older form.


皇

From the prefix 皇 (sube-, see above) + 等 (-ra, nominalizing and pluralizing suffix).


皇

From the prefix 皇 (sume-) + 等 (-ra, nominalizing and pluralizing suffix).


的

ja-pos

的(てき) • (-teki) -na (adnominal 的(てき)な (-teki na), adverbial 的(てき)に (-teki ni))

的 (canonical)
-teki (romanization)
的な (adnominal)
的に (adverbial)

Daijirin
Daijisen
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
Meiji period
ja:松村明

Repurposed from the target meaning, probably from Ming- and Qing-era Mandarin use of this character as a possessive or adjectivizing particle, or even earlier in the Song and Yuan eras. Probably also influenced in the Meiji period by the English adjective ending -tic (as in spastic, plastic, or characteristic), ultimately deriving from Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós), used to form adjectives from verbs.

Used to form 形容動詞 (keiyō dōshi, “na adjectives”) from nouns. The resulting term has a 平板型 (heiban-gata, “flat type”) or type 0 pitch accent pattern.
中国の雰囲気、中国的な雰囲気
Chūgoku no fun'iki, Chūgoku-teki na fun'iki
China's atmosphere, a Chinese kind of atmosphere

Used to form similar items from complex noun phrases.
彼の本音的な歌詞
kare no honne-teki na kashi
lyrics that are like his true feelings

-ive, -like, -ish, -ic, -ical, -y, kind of, sort of


系

2017, 桑原恵美子, ベルメゾン 「人をダメにする」冬物アイテムぞくぞく in Nikkei Style, 日本経済新聞社
これらの「人をダメにする」系のヒットの先駆けは、2014年に発売された無印商品の「体にフィットするソファ」。
Korera no “hito o dame ni suru”-kei no hitto no sakigake wa, nisenjūyon-nen ni hatsubai sareta Mujirushi Shōhin no “karada ni fitto suru sofa”.

感動する系の曲

an emotionally stirring kind of musical piece

癒し系の女性

萌え系
moe-kei
moe-type anime


科

科 (canonical)
-ka (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)


相

相 (canonical)
-shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しゃう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 相 (“together, with”), from the way that a minister would always be with their lord. Kan'on, so likely a later borrowing than the sō reading.

首相

内相


第

第２号

第１３話


糞

From Old Japanese, in turn from Proto-Japonic *kuso.
Cognate with 臭い (kusai, “stinky, smelly”), 腐る (kusaru, “to rot, to become stinky”).

糞爺い


糞

下手糞

crappy (bad at something), to be shit at doing something

襤褸糞

crappy, for shit: a derogatory emphasizing suffix.


等

From Middle Chinese 等 (tong^X, “step, grade”), extended to mean ... kind of thing.

et cetera, that kind of thing, and so on


等

我、我等、これ、これ等

今日等、そこ等辺


脚

流星・ブラボー脚‼

2004 September 8, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “第３４話 Let’s お見舞い [Chapter 34: Let’s Go for a Hospital Visit]”, in 武装錬金 [Armed Alchemy], volume 4, Tokyo: Shueisha

(martial arts) used in the names of moves that involve kicking


脱

脱原発
datsu genpatsu
denuclearization


線

ガンマ線

千歳線


舎

チーター舎


罪

殺人罪 (satsujin-zai, “murder (as a crime)”)

堕胎罪 (datai-zai, “unlawful abortion”)

(law) Used after the name of an action, to form the name of a criminal charge


者

someone of that type, someone who does that


翁

翁 (canonical)
-ō (romanization)
wou (romanization)
をう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 翁 (MC 'uwng).
The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.


臭

昭和臭を漂わせてる物
Shōwa-shū o tadayowaseteru mono
something that reeks of the Shōwa era

(slang, figurative) stench of; whiff of; scent of


葺

From the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 葺(ふ)く (fuku). The fuki changes to buki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

ja-ryk

roofing; roofed with; thatching; thatched with; shingling; shingled with


美

suffix used by female given names, such as 奈美 (なみ, Nami), 恵美 (えみ, Emi; めぐみ, Megumi), 宏美 (ひろみ, Hiromi)


聖

Phono-semantic matching of English saint, from Latin sanctus.

(Catholicism) prefix added to the names of saints


観

観 (canonical)
-kan (romanization)
kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)


製

日本製

木製


草

From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *kusa. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE. Possibly cognate with Korean 꽃 (kkot, “flower”).
The development of the fake, amateur senses is unclear.

草蜉蝣
kusakagerō
a lacewing fly (literally, “fake or mimic dragonfly”, from the visual resemblance)

草野球、草競馬

amateur or pick-up baseball, small-time horse-racing


譚

変身譚

復讐譚

継子いじめ譚

『ディオニュソス譚』 ― “Dionyusosu-tan” ― Dionysiaca


豊

Daijirin
Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Kojiki
Kōjien
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki of 712 and the Man'yōshū of 759.
Not used on its own. Appears only in compounds where this term is directly followed by another noun or verb, or where this term is followed by the particle の (no) and then another noun or verb.

豊の年／豊年、豊御酒

a rich year / a year with bumper crops, bounteous sake

sufficient, abundant, bounteous, ample, rich, wealthy


生

From Old Japanese. Numerous derivatives already in use in the Heian period.

生演奏

生クリーム

生ビール

生卵


生

From Middle Chinese 生 (MC sraeng|sraengH, “alive; fresh; raw; unprocessed”). The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.

ltc-l

中学生、大学生、受験生
chūgakusei, daigakusei, jukensei
middle-school student, university student, test-taking student → examinee

せんきゅうひゃくごじゅう


生

Likely a contraction from 生き (iki, “life, living; freshness”).

生糸

生娘


諸

琉球諸言語


表

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki

Ultimately from Old Japanese. Cognate with 面 (omote). Derived as a compound of 面 (omo, “face”) + 手 (te, “hand; direction, side”), basically meaning "face-wards; facing side".
The term omote in general is attested since the Nihon Shoki of 720. The 表 spelling for this word is attested from roughly 1000.
Cognate with Okinawan 表 (umuti).

compound

西表


記

⟨ki₂⟩ → */kɨ/ → /ki/
From Middle Chinese 記 (MC kiH).
In Old Japanese, this kanji was used as man'yōgana to transcribe /ki₂/.


講

講 (canonical)
-kō (romanization)
kau (romanization)
かう (hiragana historical)

法華八講

reading of the eight scrolls of the Lotus Sutra

reading of sacred scriptures by Buddhist monks

涅槃講

rites on February 15, the death day of the Buddha

gathering of monks and laity for Buddhist rites

lay association of Buddhist or Shinto believers

いわゆる「ネズミ講」を運営したとして、無限連鎖講防止法違反の疑いが持たれています。

He is being held on suspicion of violating the Law on Prevention of Pyramid Schemes for operating a so-called "Mouse Mutual Assistance Association."

Iwayuru “nezumi-kō” o un'ei shita toshite, mugenrensakō bōshihō ihan no utagai gamotareteimasu.

防止法違反 ぼうしほういはん


計

2019 May 28, 邦人がコカインのみ込み密輸か 機内で発作、死亡https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO45347590Y9A520C1CC0000/ in 日本経済新聞
司法解剖で胃や腸からコカインが入った計246個の袋が見つかり、当局は死因を麻薬の過剰摂取による心不全と断定。
Shihōkaibō de i ya chō kara kokain ga haitta kei nihyakuyonjūroku ko no fukuro ga mitsukari, tōkyoku wa shīn o mayaku no kajō sesshu ni yoru shinfuzen to dantei.
Through the forensic autopsy, a total of 246 bags containing cocaine were found in the stomach and intestines. The authorities determined the cause of death to be heart failure caused by a drug overdose.


議

都/道/府/県/市/町/村議

a member of the Tokyo/Hokkaido/Osaka/Kyoto/prefecture/city/town/village assembly

Clipping of 議会議員 (gikai giin, “legislature member”).


輌

Nonstandard spelling of 輛/両 (“cars of a train”).


著

宮沢賢治著
Miyazawa Kenji-cho
by Kenji Miyazawa


貴

From Middle Chinese 貴 (MC kjw+jH, literally “precious, noble, superior”).

貴様: you

superior; derogatory: the original meaning degraded over time, becoming ironic, and then insulting

貴公子、貴婦人、貴賓

[young] nobleman, noblewoman, superior guest

(archaic) added to nouns related to people to indicate superiority

貴店

(archaic) added to nouns to indicate respect and possession: your


貴

added after nouns related to people to express love and respect


論

集合論 ― shūgōron ― set theory

宇宙論 ― uchūron ― cosmology

陰謀論

無神論 ― mushinron ― atheism

唯物論


視

(with 2-character Sino-Japanese nouns, forming suru-verbs and their corresponding nouns) treating as; viewing as


超

超能力

超能力 ちょうのうりょく

超臨界水

超臨界水 ちょうりんかいすい

超低周波音: infrasound

超低周波音 ちょうていしゅうはおん

超音波
chōonpa
ultrasound

extra-; hyper-; mega-; meta-; para-; super-; trans-; ultra-

超好き

超キモい


被

From Middle Chinese 被 (bjeᴴ, “to cover”), from the term's use in Chinese as a passive marker.

被傭者

被験者
hikensha
examinee

被減数

被保護国

-ed, -ee (marks the passive recipient of an action)


衣

The rendaku form of 着 (ki), the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 着る (kiru, “to wear”).


走

１００ｍ 走


辺

/pe₁/ → /pe/ → /fe/ → /he/
From Old Japanese. The root of the modern Japanese directional particle へ (e).

(obsolete) place, general area, vicinity

末辺: the area towards the end of something

本辺: the area towards the beginning of something


辺

/pe₁/ → /pe/ → /be/
From Old Japanese, from pe above. The he changes to be as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


辺

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 辺 (he, “vicinity”, see he above) + た (ta, “place, area”, the same ta element in 貴方 anata, now “you” in modern Japanese but previously meaning “that one over there”).

compound

the same ta element in <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">貴方</i> anata, now “you” in modern Japanese but previously meaning “that one over there”

the area near something or along the edge of something


辺

Hiroshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture

Appears to be a compound of な (na, alternative form of の no, the possessive particle) + 辺 (be, “vicinity”, see be above).

alternative form of <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">の</i> no, the possessive particle


逸

Daijirin Daijisen Kyūjitai Shinjitai ja:松村明 Ōsaka

/iti/ → /it͡ɕi/
Cognate with adverbs 甚 (ita, ito, “very, exceedingly”).
The use of this kanji is an example of phonetic ateji (当て字), possibly by extension of the "great, superb, outstanding" senses.


路

This usage has generally been replaced by 路 (ji) below.

(obsolete) attaches to place names, indicating a road to that place


路

路 (canonical)
-ji (romanization)
ぢ (hiragana historical)

Originally a rendaku (連濁) form of 路(ち) (chi) above.

山路、長路

奈良路

四日路

attaches to a time duration, indicating a trip taking that length of time


語

日本語 ― nihongo ― Japanese

英語 ― eigo ― English

スペイン語 ― supeingo ― Spanish


部

野球部

茶道部

英会話部


郎

鷲郎 ― Washirō

太郎 ― Tarō (literally, “great (1st) son”)

一郎 ― Ichirō (literally, “1st son”)

二郎 ― Jirō (literally, “2nd son”)

次郎 ― Jirō (literally, “next son”)

三郎 ― Saburō (literally, “3rd son”)

桃太郎 ― Momotarō

小三郎 ― Kosaburō

源三郎 ― Genzaburō

四郎 ― Shirō (literally, “4th son”)

総一郎 ― Sōichirō

小四郎 ― Koshirō

五郎 ― Gorō (literally, “5th son”)

小五郎 ― Kogorō

六郎 ― Rokurō (literally, “6th son”)

七郎 ― Shichirō (literally, “7th son”)

八郎 ― Hachirō (literally, “8th son”)

九郎 ― Kurō (literally, “9th son”)

十郎 ― Jūrō (literally, “10th son”)


遠

遠 (canonical)
tō- (romanization)
tofo (romanization)
とほ (hiragana historical)

⟨to₂po⟩ → */təpo/ → /tofo/ → /towo/ → /toː/
From Old Japanese.
Stem of classical adjective 遠し (tōshi), modern 遠い (tōi, “distant, far”).


過

過 (canonical)
ka- (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)


野

野兎


陣

陣 (canonical)
-jin (romanization)
ぢん (hiragana historical)

経営陣、制作陣

1万人以上の講師陣

1万人以上
1 まんにんいじょう


達

Kyūjitai Man'yōshū Shinjitai Tōkyō Ōsaka

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE. The tachi reading is analyzed by some references as kun'yomi or a native-Japanese reading. Alternatively, this has been understood as a shift from the goon reading of dachi.
Beyond Japanese, apparently related to Middle Korean ᄃᆞᆶ〮 (tólh, pluralizing particle) > Korean 들 (-deul, pluralizing particle), perhaps reflecting Old Korean */tatVk/ (Vovin 2010, p. 120), and thus not actually of Chinese origin. However, probably phonologically reinforced by the Sino-Japanese reading of Middle Chinese 達 (MC that|dat).

cog

子供、子供達、俺、俺達

この鳥達だって邪魔じゃないか

1994 March 25, Marimo Ragawa, “赤ちゃんと僕 第33話 [Baby & Me: Chapter 33]”, in 赤ちゃんと僕 [Baby & Me], volume 7 (fiction), Tokyo: Hakusensha, page 27

But aren’t these birds a bit of a hindrance?

杏子ちゃんたち
Kyōko-chan-tachi
Kyōko-chan and her friend(s)

ママたち
mama-tachi
mommy and her friend(s)

六舛達集めて先に玄関で待っててくれ

2004 April 7, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “第８話 ロックオン [Chapter 8: Lock On]”, in 武装錬金 [Armed Alchemy], volume 2, Tokyo: Shueisha, page 23

Go get Rokumasu and the others and wait for me at the entrance, will you?

Rokumasu-tachi ayamete saki ni genkan de matte tekure

attached to the name of the representative of a group to refer to that whole group

(archaic, possibly obsolete) honorific suffix


重

重 (canonical)
-e (romanization)
fe (romanization)
へ (hiragana historical)

/-pe/ → /-ɸe/ → /-we/ → /-e/. Cognate with 重 (he, “division”). The divergent phonological development is due to the non-null environment caused by being suffixed to the previous morpheme.


重

ja-pos

重(じゅう) • (jū-)

involving large-scale manufacture, heavy

great in degree, heavy, serious, severe, hard, difficult


院

院 (canonical)
-in (romanization)
ゐん (hiragana historical)


行

Cognate with 下(くだ)り (kudari, “downward-going”).


雛

*/pina/ → /fina/ → /hina/
Appears to be from Old Japanese. The derivative form hiwina (later hīna) appears in The Tale of Genji, dated to before 1021.

diminutive prefix, carrying favorable connotations such as a sense of cuteness

雛霰: a type of 霰 given as an offering to the hina doll on Hina matsuri

雛市: a market selling hina doll and accoutrement for Hina matsuri

雛菓子: sweets given as offering on the 雛壇 at Hina matsuri

雛形尺

a bamboo ruler made to be as long as the width of a bolt of cotton fabric

a type of 蚊帳吊草 native to wet areas in Honshū

雛鑑定器: a chicken tester

雛鑑定器 ひなかんていき

雛鑑別者: a chicken sexer

雛鑑別者 ひなかんべつしゃ

雛桔梗

a type of bluebell or bellflower of the genus Wahlenbergia

雛罌粟, 雛芥子

Papaver rhoeas, the common field or red poppy

the part of an 烏帽子 just below the front peak that protrudes slightly

a short kimono for children up to the age of one

made from one piece of fabric and without a seam up the back

雛段: a special tiered display for hina doll

a similarly tiered platform for kabuki musicians

the tiered seats for minister in the Diet

雛流し, 雛流

letting loose small boats made of paper, ceramic, or other materials and holding hina dolls on rivers or the sea on the night of Hina matsuri

雛の簪

an annual plant of the family Polygalaceae, a type of milkwort

雛の錫杖

an annual flowering plant of family Burmanniaceae

雛の錫杖科

Burmanniaceae, the botanical name for a family of monocot flowering plant

雛の使い

in modern Japan, the act of sending relatives a display of outfitted hina dolls for Hina matsuri

雛欄

an orchid of the genus Amitostigma, native to East Asia

初生雛

a newly hatched chick that has just started eating

後の雛

the counterpart to Hina Matsuri, held on the ninth day of the ninth month in the old lunar calendar

初雛: a girl's first springtime seasonal celebration

the hina dolls set out as decoration at such a time


領

フランス領ポリネシア


道

道 (canonical)
dō- (romanization)
dau (romanization)
だう (hiragana historical)

/dau/ → /dɔː/ → /doː/
From Middle Chinese 道 (MC dawX). Compare modern Mandarin 道 (dào), Cantonese 道 (dou⁶).

道央自動車道
Dō O jidōshadō
Dō-Ō Expressway (literally "Central Hokkaido Expressway")

自動車道 じどうしゃどう


館

館 (canonical)
-kan (romanization)
kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)

/kwan/ → /kan/
From Middle Chinese 館 (MC kwanH, “house; lodge; residence; premises”).

ltc-l

a hall, a building, a section of a building, a house


高

高学歴

high academic achievement; higher education

高画質


鳥

⟨to₂ri⟩ → ⟨*to₂⟩ → /to/
From Old Japanese. Appears to be a shift from tori above.


長

From Old Japanese.
Stem form of classical adjective 長し (nagashi), modern 長い (nagai, “long, lengthy”).


む

-mu (romanization)
ま (irrealis stem)
ma (irrealis stem)
む (stem terminative)
ん (stem terminative)
mu (stem terminative)
n (stem terminative)
む (attributive stem)
ん (attributive stem)
mu (attributive stem)
n (attributive stem)
め (realis stem)
me (realis stem)

Heian period
Kojiki
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

From Old Japanese. First cited in the Kojiki of 712.
The pronunciation shifted from /mu/ to just nasal /m/ and then to the generalized nasal /ɴ/ by the mid-Heian period (794–1185), leading some writers to use ん (n) instead to write this suffix. The kana ん (n) itself evolved out of a hentaigana (alternative kana form) for む (mu) based on the cursive for kanji 无 (mu). In Classical Japanese texts, the practice now is to pronounce final む (-mu) as ん (-n) instead.
As a separate phonological shift, /mu/ retained the vowel but lost the consonant, becoming a nasalized /ũ/ and then plain /u/. This then often fused with the preceding vowel, ultimately leading to the development of the modern volitional / suppositional /oː/ ending in modern Japanese. See よう for more detail.
Variously described as suppositional ("seems like"), volitional ("I will"), or hortative ("let's). Ultimately, all of these senses arise from an apparent base meaning of "seem, appear, look like". May be cognate with 目 (me, “eye”), 見る (miru, “to see; to look at”), びる (-biru, “to look like, to seem like, to behave like”).

ja-r

c. late 9th–mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari
我こそ死なめ。
Ware koso shiname.
I would rather die myself.

鳴り高し。鳴り止まむ。

1021, Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji 21

(Classical Japanese, after mizenkei) used to form the suppositional / volitional / hortative form of verbs, equivalent to modern う (-u > -ō) / よう (-yō); also used as a mild imperative


か

First cited to The Tale of Genji (c. 1001-1014).

か + 弱い (yowai) → か弱い (kayowai)

か + 細い (hosoi) → か細い (kabosoi)

(emphatic, before an adjective, non-productive) very


か

From Old Japanese. Only persists in stems. No longer productive in Modern Japanese.

forms 形容動詞 (keiyō dōshi, “-na adjectives”) from stems, indicating the state or feeling of an object


お

御: honorific prefix to make a word polite


ず

-zu (romanization)
ず (irrealis stem)
ざら (irrealis stem)
な (irrealis stem)
zu (irrealis stem)
zara (irrealis stem)
ず (continuative stem)
ざり (continuative stem)
に (continuative stem)
zu (continuative stem)
zari (continuative stem)
ni (continuative stem)
ず (stem terminative)
ざり (stem terminative)
zu (stem terminative)
zari (stem terminative)
ぬ (attributive stem)
ざる (attributive stem)
nu (attributive stem)
zaru (attributive stem)
ね (realis stem)
ざれ (realis stem)
ne (realis stem)
zare (realis stem)
ざれ (imperative stem)
zare (imperative stem)
ねど (contrastive)
ざれど (contrastive)
nedo (contrastive)
zaredo (contrastive)
ねば (causative)
ざれば (causative)
neba (causative)
zareba (causative)
ずは (conditional)
ずば (conditional)
ざらば (conditional)
zufa (conditional)
zuba (conditional)
zaraba (conditional)
ざりき (past)
zariki (past)
ざりけり (past)
zarikeri (past)
ざりつ (perfect)
zaritu (perfect)
ざりぬ (perfect)
zarinu (perfect)
ざりたり (continuative perfect)
zaritari (continuative perfect)
ず (adverbial)
zu (adverbial)
^([1])Nara period form.
^([2])Without auxiliary verbs.
^([3])With auxiliary verbs.

ja-conj-bungo

ず?Without auxiliary verbs.;ざり?With auxiliary verbs.;に?Nara period form.

From Old Japanese. Generally considered to be a combination of negation suffix ぬ (nu) in its 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of に (ni) + honorific suffix す (su).
/nisu/ → */nzu/ → /zu/
Appears both as zu and as the older nisu form in the Man'yōshū poetry anthology.

何も知らず


ふ

-fu (romanization)
は (irrealis stem)
-fa (irrealis)
ひ (continuative stem)
-fi (continuative)
ふ (stem terminative)
-fu (terminative)
ふ (attributive stem)
-fu (attributive)
へ (realis stem)
-fe (realis)
へ (imperative stem)
-fe (imperative)
はず (negative)
-fazu (negative)
へど (contrastive)
-fedo (contrastive)
へば (causative)
-feba (causative)
はば (conditional)
-faba (conditional)
ひき (past)
-fiki (past)
ひけり (past)
-fikeri (past)
ひつ (perfect)
-fitu (perfect)
ひぬ (perfect)
-finu (perfect)
へり (continuative perfect)
ひたり (continuative perfect)
-feri (continuative perfect)
-fitari (continuative perfect)
はむ (volitional)
-famu (volitional)

From Old Japanese. Possibly a contraction of the 連用形(れんようけい) (ren'yōkei) of verbs and 合ふ (afu). Alternatively from 経 (fu).

(following the irrealis stem of verbs)
expresses repetition

(following the irrealis stem of verbs)
expresses an ongoing state


れ

nominalizing suffix used to form pronouns, often from demonstratives: one, thing


ぶ

bu (romanization)
び (irrealis stem)
bi (irrealis stem)
び (continuative stem)
bi (continuative stem)
ぶ (stem terminative)
bu (stem terminative)
ぶる (attributive stem)
buru (attributive stem)
ぶれ (realis stem)
bure (realis stem)
びよ (imperative stem)
biyo (imperative stem)
びず (negative)
bizu (negative)
ぶれど (contrastive)
buredo (contrastive)
ぶれば (causative)
bureba (causative)
びば (conditional)
biba (conditional)
びき (past)
biki (past)
びけり (past)
bikeri (past)
びつ (perfect)
bitu (perfect)
びぬ (perfect)
binu (perfect)
びたり (continuative perfect)
bitari (continuative perfect)
びむ (volitional)
bimu (volitional)

Classical Japanese form of びる (-biru, “to act like”)


ひ

ひ + 弱い (yowai) → ひ弱い (hiyowai)

(emphatic, before an adjective, non-productive) indeed, truly


り

table
Originally the classical copula verb あり (ari, “it is”) following a verb in the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”).
The -i ending of the preceding verb stem contracted with the initial a- in ari to form -eri, which was reanalyzed as the 已然形 (izenkei, “realis form”, corresponding to the modern hypothetical form) or 命令形 (meireikei, “imperative form”) of the verb stem for 四段活用 (yodan katsuyō, “quadrigrade conjugation”) verbs, or the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) for サ変動詞 (sa-hen dōshi, “sa-irregular verbs”), all of which ended in -e, with the final -ri then viewed as a suffix.
: Example: 降り (furi, continuative stem of 降る (furu)) + あり (ari) → 降れり (fureri), reanalyzed as 降れ (fure, realis or imperative form of 降る (furu)) + り (-ri)
Research into 上代特殊仮名遣い (jōdai tokushu kanazukai, “ancient special spellings”) clarified the -e vowel value as ⟨e₁⟩, showing that the original form could not have been the 已然形 (izenkei, “realis form”) that ended in ⟨e₂⟩. Ancient ⟨e₁⟩ was also known to appear from fusion of -i and a-, and this revealed the much simpler original structure of a verb in the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) for either quadrigrade or sa-irregular verbs + あり (ari).
Originally denoted ongoing state or action, or the resulting state of an action. The sense later shifted to indicate the completion of an action. Compare the modern construction 〜てある (~te aru).

新世界より来たれり

図版を省略せる鳥類目録

an ornithological catalogue with illustrations omitted

(archaic) Used to form the stative of verbs: did; have done


り

Early Middle Japanese
Heian period
Kamakura period
Late Middle Japanese

table
Probably ultimately deriving from the classical copula verb あり (ari, “it is”), used adverbially to denote the state or manner of an action.
Used to form adverbs from some onomatopoeias or ideophones. Appears to have been productive up through the Early Middle Japanese of the late Heian period, possibly also in the early stages of the Late Middle Japanese of the Kamakura period. In the modern language, this suffix persists in existing words, but it is not used to form any new words.

きら (kira) → きらり (kirari)

べた (beta) → べたり (betari) → べったり (bettari)

ほの (hono) → ほんのり (honnori)

(non-productive) adverb-forming suffix following some onomatopoeias or ideophones


じ

路: a road, a street; attaches to place names, indicating a road to that place; attaches to a time duration, indicating a trip taking that length of time


じ

字 地 寺 時 次 璽 痔

Iroha
浅き夢見じ 酔ひもせず
Asaki yume miji
Ei mo sezu
We shall not have superficial dreams
Nor be deluded.

(Classical Japanese) Attaches to the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) of verbs to form the negative conjectural/volitional, equivalent to modern まい (-mai).


に

お母さん似

(of a child) taking after (in appearance)


ぽ

ツイ禁しようかと思ったけど、やっぱツイ禁むりぽ＼(o)／
Tsuikin shiyō ka to omotta kedo, yappa tsuikin muripo \(^o^)/
Tried to ban myself from Twitter… nope 🙃

「もう無理ぽ」仕事、恋愛、人間関係で落ち込んだ時に使える10の対処法

2015 June 12, 1mm, archived from the original on 2020-09-27

10 techniques to use when you’re feeling “Dang, it’s nearly impossible” about work, love, or relationships

“Mō muri-po” shigoto, ren'ai, ningenkankei de ochikonda toki ni tsukaeru jū no taishohō

(informal, slang) Alternative form of っぽい, -like


く

/-u aku//-ru aku//-ki aku/ → /(-a)ku//-raku//-keku/
Originally a compound of the 連体形(れんたいけい) (rentaikei) of verbs and adjectives and 所(あく) (aku); 上代特殊仮名遣 (jōdai tokushu kanazukai) contractions of vowel clusters caused it to be reanalyzed as the suffixes:
* く (ku) following
** 未然形(みぜんけい) (mizenkei) of 四段活用(よだんかつよう) (yodan katsuyō) and ラ行変格活用(ぎょうへんかくかつよう) (ra-gyō henkaku katsuyō) verbs
* らく (raku) following
**終止形(しゅうしけい) (shūshikei) of 二段活用(にだんかつよう) (nidan katsuyō), サ行変格活用(ぎょうへんかくかつよう) (sa-gyō henkaku katsuyō), カ行変格活用(ぎょうへんかくかつよう) (ka-gyō henkaku katsuyō), and ナ行変格活用(ぎょうへんかくかつよう) (na-gyō henkaku katsuyō) verbs
** 未然形(みぜんけい) (mizenkei) or 連用形(れんようけい) (ren'yōkei) of 一段活用(いちだんかつよう) (ichidan katsuyō) verbs
* けく (keku) following the stem of adjectives.
The use of this nominalizer is called ク語法(ごほう) (ku-gohō).

ja-r

ラ-ぎょう へんかく かつよう

サ-ぎょう へんかく かつよう

カ-ぎょう へんかく かつよう

ナ-ぎょう へんかく かつよう

(obsolete) A nominalizing suffix in Old Japanese.


る

ja-pos

る • (-ru) godan (stem り (-ri), past った (-tta))

サボる

to skip, to play hooky; to slack off, to shirk one's duties

ググる
guguru
to Google

(slang) A general method to form verbs (as a godan katsuyō verb). Much less productive than 〜する (-suru, “to do”).


る

-ru (romanization)
れ (irrealis stem)
re (irrealis stem)
れ (continuative stem)
re (continuative stem)
る (stem terminative)
ru (stem terminative)
るる (attributive stem)
ruru (attributive stem)
るれ (realis stem)
rure (realis stem)
れよ (imperative stem)
reyo (imperative stem)
れず (negative)
rezu (negative)
るれど (contrastive)
ruredo (contrastive)
るれば (causative)
rureba (causative)
れば (conditional)
reba (conditional)
れき (past)
reki (past)
れけり (past)
rekeri (past)
れつ (perfect)
retu (perfect)
れぬ (perfect)
renu (perfect)
れたり (continuative perfect)
retari (continuative perfect)
れむ (volitional)
remu (volitional)

Classical Japanese form of れる (-reru, passive suffix)


る

table
Regular adnominal conjugation of verbal auxiliary suffix り (ri) indicating resulting state or completion of action.

眠れる森の美女

wedding vows
富める時も貧しき時も
tomeru toki mo mazushiki toki mo
in wealth or poverty

(Classical Japanese or literary) adnominal of り (-ri)


て

From the ren'yōkei of the classical auxiliary verb つ (tsu).

で

allomorph used with -gu/-bu/-mu/-nu (voiced ending) godan verbs

大きくて甘いリンゴ

姉がピアノを弾いて妹が歌を歌う。

The elder sister plays piano and the younger sister sings songs.

Ane ga piano o hiite imōto ga uta o utau.

the conjunctive ending, attaching to the ren'yōkei of verbs and adjectives.

simply indicates separate actions or states that occur simultaneously; and

家に帰って、テレビを見た。

indicates actions or states that occur successively; do something and

風邪を引いて、学校を休んだ。

I didn't go to school because I caught a cold.

indicates reason or cause; because doing something

見て見ぬふり ― mite minu furi ― saw but pretended not to see → turn a blind eye

知っていて教えない

used as a contrastive conjunction; do something but

喜んで一日を過ごした。

日本語を勉強している。

机の上に置いてある。

followed by hojodōshi (subsidiary verbs, corresponding to auxiliary verbs in western languages) such as いる (iru), ある (aru), やる (yaru), くれる (kureru), あげる (ageru), もらう (morau), おく (oku), くる (kuru), いく (iku), etc., to make their complement

used in the form …て…て (… te … te) to show emphasis or repetition

ては (-te wa) and ても (-te mo) make conditional clauses

もうご覧になって？

よろしくって？

(women's speech) used in sentence-final position, an extension of the conjunctive particle above and simply omitting any following words; usually takes the form って when attaching to adjectives

助けて！

ちょっと待って

いつか、私を助けてね

short for てください (-te kudasai) or てくれ (-te kure): makes a light command or request, usually followed by よ (yo) or ね (ne)

てください

お手紙ちょうだいね。待っててよ

Please send me a letter. I'll be waiting.

indicates the speaker's opinion or judgment; usually followed by よ (yo)


さ

綺麗→綺麗さ
kirei→kireisa
beautiful→beauty (na-adjective)

悲しい→悲しさ
kanashii→kanashisa
sad→sadness (i-adjective)


ゆ

-yu (romanization)
え (irrealis stem)
-e (irrealis)
え (continuative stem)
-e (continuative)
ゆ (stem terminative)
-yu (terminative)
ゆる (attributive stem)
-yuru (attributive)
ゆれ (realis stem)
-yure (realis)
えよ (imperative stem)
-eyo (imperative)
えず (negative)
-ezu (negative)
ゆれど (contrastive)
-yuredo (contrastive)
ゆれば (causative)
-yureba (causative)
えば (conditional)
-eba (conditional)
えき (past)
-eki (past)
えけり (past)
-ekeri (past)
えつ (perfect)
-etu (perfect)
えぬ (perfect)
-enu (perfect)
えたり (continuative perfect)
-etari (continuative perfect)
えむ (volitional)
-emu (volitional)

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 由 in the cursive sōsho style.

ja-kana-mannyogana-etym

(Classical Japanese) attaches to the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis form”) of verbs

expresses natural, spontaneous occurrence


ご

御: honorific prefix used before on'yomi nouns


う

-u (romanization)
in Modern Japanese (romanization)
-yō (romanization)

/mu/ → /ũ/ → /u/ → (fused with the /a/ ending in the preceding verb stem) /ɔː/ → /oː/
From Old Japanese む (mu). See the entry at よう for more information.

ren'yōkei + た

with onbin sound changes for Group I verbs

+ で（は）なかったですnoun + で（は）ありませんでした

de [wa] nakatta desu; de [wa] arimasen deshita

For a list of all kanji read as う

This term, う (u), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.

そろそろ帰ろう。

手伝おうか。

誕生日ケーキを作ろうと思っています。

I'm thinking about baking a birthday cake.

明日一緒に学校に行こう。

Inducing or stimulating other person to do something.

誕生日ケーキを作ろうとしています。

(followed by とする (to suru)) to try to do; to attempt to do

ゲームを遊ぼうとしたとき、電話がかかった。

The phone rang as I was about to play the game.

Gēmu o asobō to shita toki, denwa ga kakatta.

(followed by とする (to suru)) to be about to do; to be on the verge of doing

そんなことはなかろう。

それが「近代化」であろうとなかろうと構わない。

It doesn't matter whether it is "modernization" or not.

Sore ga “kindaika” de arō to nakarō to kamawanai.

(followed by が (ga) or と (to), often in parallel) whether … or …


う

早い (hayai) → 早う (hayō)

うれしい (ureshii) → うれしゅう (ureshū)

少ない (sukunai) → 少のう (sukunō)

Alternative form of く (-ku, adverbial suffix of -i adjectives)


つ

-tsu (romanization)
て (irrealis stem)
te (irrealis stem)
て (continuative stem)
te (continuative stem)
つ (stem terminative)
tu (stem terminative)
つる (attributive stem)
turu (attributive stem)
つれ (realis stem)
ture (realis stem)
てよ (imperative stem)
teyo (imperative stem)
ざりつ (negative stem)
zaritu (negative stem)
つれど (contrastive stem)
turedo (contrastive stem)
つれば (causative stem)
tureba (causative stem)
てば (conditional stem)
teba (conditional stem)
^([1])Perfect tense of ず.

⟨tu⟩ → /t͡su/
From Old Japanese.
According to one theory, shortened from 棄(う)つ ( → utsu, “throw away, discard”).

(Classical Japanese) indicates the completion of an action

(Classical Japanese) indicates certainty

(Classical Japanese) indicates affirmation

(Classical Japanese, in the form ...tsu ...tsu) shows parallel action


き

-ki (romanization)
せ (irrealis stem)
け (irrealis stem)
se (irrealis stem)
ke (irrealis stem)
き (stem terminative)
ki (stem terminative)
し (attributive stem)
si (attributive stem)
しか (realis stem)
sika (realis stem)
ざりき (negative)
zariki (negative)
しかど (contrastive)
sikado (contrastive)
しかば (causative)
sikaba (causative)
せば (conditional)
けば (conditional)
seba (conditional)
keba (conditional)

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 幾 in the cursive sōsho style.

Used when the speaker has directly experienced the event described, as opposed to けり.

(Classical Japanese) Indicates past tense: -ed


ぬ

-nu (romanization)
ず (continuative stem)
ん (continuative stem)
zu (continuative stem)
n (continuative stem)
ぬ (stem terminative)
ん (stem terminative)
nu (stem terminative)
n (stem terminative)
ぬ (attributive stem)
ん (attributive stem)
nu (attributive stem)
n (attributive stem)
ね (hypothetical stem)
ne (hypothetical stem)
んです (formal)
ndesu (formal)
んだ (perfective)
nda (perfective)
んで (conjunctive)
nde (conjunctive)
ねば (conditional hypothetical)
neba (conditional hypothetical)

table
Originally the 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of Classical Japanese negative suffix ず (zu). In modern Japanese, the 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal form”) (lemma, originally ず (zu)) assimilated to ぬ (nu). In turn, from Old Japanese. For further detail, see ず (zu).

風が立たぬ

the wind does not rise / does not pick up

予期せぬエラーが発生しました。

(archaic) (after the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of a verb) the negative: indicates negation of the action, ending without starting or occurring: not


ぬ

-nu (romanization)
な (irrealis stem)
に (continuative stem)
ni (continuative stem)
ぬ (stem terminative)
nu (stem terminative)
ぬる (attributive stem)
nuru (attributive stem)
ぬれ (realis stem)
nure (realis stem)
ね (imperative stem)
ne (imperative stem)
なず (negative stem)
ざりぬ (negative stem)
nazu (negative stem)
zarinu (negative stem)
ぬれど (contrastive stem)
nuredo (contrastive stem)
ぬれば (causative stem)
nureba (causative stem)
なば (conditional stem)
naba (conditional stem)

Daijirin Daijisen ja:ビャーケ・フレレスビッグ ja:松村明

From Old Japanese.
Many monolingual Japanese dictionaries derive this as a contraction of Old Japanese 往ぬ (inu, “to go away; to pass (such as time); to pass away, to die”); however, the meaning does not seem to make sense in the context of the verb ending -nu.
More recent work by Bjarke Frellesvig and others suggests that -nu may have originated from an ancient copular or stative verb.

cog

風が立ちぬ

1943, 土井晩翠譯『オヂュッセーア』第十九歌 https://web.archive.org/web/20040623125018/http://www.sm.rim.or.jp/~osawa/AGG/odyssey/odyssey-19.html
多くの女性彼を見て皆驚嘆の目を張りぬ。
Ōku no josei kare o mite mina kyōtan no me o harinu.
Many women looked at him and all opened their eyes wide with admiration.

(Classical Japanese or literary) (after the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb) the perfective: indicates completion of the action, ending after starting or occurring: has done, has happened


み

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 美 in the cursive sōsho style.

ja-kana-mannyogana-etym

暖かみ、厚み、面白み

味: (after an i-adjective stem) -ness; used for subjective "quality" of being, as opposed to suffix さ (sa), also translated as -ness, used for objective "degree" of being

外国みがある
gaikoku-mi ga aru
has a foreign country-ish vibe

(Internet slang) (after other types of words as well) -ness

高み、明るみ、深み


み

From Old Japanese. ⟨mi₁⟩ → /mi/.
Considered to be from the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of 見る (miru, “to try, to attempt”).

降りみ降らずみ
furimi furazumi
sometimes raining and sometimes not raining → raining on and off

照りみ曇りみ

(after verbs with opposite meanings in the ren'yōkei continuative or -zu negative continuative) indicates alternation of action or state, equivalent to the modern expression …たり…たり (…tari …tari)


み

Old Japanese. ⟨mi₁⟩ → /mi/. Only used in waka since Early Middle Japanese.

山を高み

as/because the mountain is high; the mountain being high

(obsolete, after an i-adjective stem) as, because; forming an adverbial clause: being

(obsolete, after an i-adjective stem) Expresses thinking or feeling, followed by verbs like 思ふ and す.


ど

ど (canonical)
ド (canonical)
do- (romanization)

Appears to be a relatively recent innovation. In mainstream Japanese, this prefix is used as an intensifier. In the Kansai region, the meaning has further developed to convey more negative overtones.
The ultimate derivation is unclear. This may be an extension of the noun 度 (do, “degree, extent”).

どあほ
do-aho
dumbass


ど

何: indeterminate prefix, used to form question words such as 何れ (dore, “which”, literally “which one”) or 何処 (doko, “where”, literally “what place”)


ど

度: (geometry) degree of an angle; degree in temperature; number of times; percentage of alcohol concentration


ど

(archaic, poetic, formal) Attaches to the verb stem, specifically the stem form ending in -e for type 1 verbs. This verb stem is called the 仮定形 (kateikei, “hypothetical form”) in Modern Japanese, and the 已然形 (izenkei, “realis form”) in Classical Japanese. Used to express the contrasting hypothetical condition conjunction: even if, even when

(archaic, poetic, formal) Attaches to the verb stem, specifically the stem form ending in -e for type 1 verbs. This verb stem is called the 仮定形 (kateikei, “hypothetical form”) in Modern Japanese, and the 已然形 (izenkei, “realis form”) in Classical Japanese. Used to indicate something is the case irrespective of something else: even though, even as


ん

table
/mu/ → /n/, /ŋ/
An abbreviation of the intentional, volitional, and suppositional ending む (mu).

いざ行かん

神の御加護があらんことを
kami no go-kago ga aran koto o
God bless you.

literally, “May God's protection be with you.”

北大路魯山人, 『味覚馬鹿』
高級食器、美器をつくらんとするものは、美食に通ずべし。http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001403/files/50005_37895.html
Kōkyū shokki, biki o tsukuran to suru mono wa, bishoku ni tsūzu beshi.
He who tries to make high-class tableware and beautyware, must be familiar with epicurism.

汝、最深部へ行くには 一つの真実を倒せ
さすればこの扉開かれん
nanji, saishinbu e iku ni wa / hitotsu no shinjitsu o taose

2004, Murakoshi, Suguru and trans. Blaustein, Jeremy, et al., quoting note on door, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Tokyo: Konami, PlayStation 2; Xbox; PC, level/area: One Truth room

To reach the deepest part, you must / defeat the One Truth.
Do so and this door will open.
(literally, “Thou, in going to the deepest part, / defeat the One Truth
If you do thusly this door would be opened”)

(non-productive, archaic) (after the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of a verb): volitional form of verbs


ん

/r-/ → /r/ → /n/, /ŋ/
Regular contraction of various morae preceding another mora starting with a nasalized consonant, such as /n/ or /d/. This contracted form is considered informal.

家に帰らなきゃ。 → 家に帰んなきゃ。
Ie ni kaeranakya. → Ie ni kaennakya.
I must go home.

涙が止まらない → 涙が止まんない
namida ga tomaranai → namida ga tomannai
the tears won't stop

入りなさい！ → 入んなさい！
Hairi nasai! → Hain nasai!
Come in!

何しているの？ → 何してるの？ → 何してんの？
Nani shite iru no? → Nani shiteru no? → Nani shiten no?
What are you doing? → What ya doing? → What'cha doin'?

ふざけるな！→ふざけんな！
Fuzakeru na! → Fuzaken na!
Stop playing around!

気にするな → 気にすんな
ki ni suru na → ki ni sun na
Don't mind.

信じられない。 → 信じらんない。
Shinjirarenai. → Shinjirannai.
I can't believe it.

それで→そんで
sore de → son de
and so

色々な物。 → 色んな物。
Iroironamono. → Ironnamono.
various things
In this case, い is contracted by being dropped, similar to 〜ている → 〜てる (as evidenced by instances of 色々な being realized in speech as いろろな), and ろ is contracted by undergoing a sound change. This sound change almost never happens, and as such, it is more of an etymological explanation of 色んな (or similar, if any) rather than a general combining form of ん for ろ.


ん

栞 → しおりん, 一美 → ずみん, 茜 → ねん
Shiori → Shiorin, Kazumi → Zumin, Akane → Nen
Shiori → Shiorin, Kazumi → Zumin, Akane → Nen (nicknames)

(women's speech) added to female names or parts of them to express affection


い

く (adverbial)
かろ (imperfective stem)
karo (imperfective stem)
く (continuative stem)
ku (continuative stem)
い (stem terminative)
i (stem terminative)
い (attributive stem)
i (attributive stem)
けれ (hypothetical stem)
kere (hypothetical stem)
かれ (imperative stem)
kare (imperative stem)
くない (informal negative)
ku nai (informal negative)
かった (informal past)
katta (informal past)
くなかった (informal negative past)
ku nakatta (informal negative past)
いです (formal)
i desu (formal)
くないです (formal negative)
ku nai desu (formal negative)
かったです (formal past)
katta desu (formal past)
くなかったです (formal negative past)
ku nakatta desu (formal negative past)
くて (conjunctive)
kute (conjunctive)
ければ (conditional)
kereba (conditional)
かったら (conditional past)
kattara (conditional past)
かろう (volitional)
karō (volitional)
く (adverbial)
ku (adverbial)
さ (noun-from-adj)
sa (noun-from-adj)

An extension of use of the -i ending on adjectives.

チャラチャラ (charachara, “onomatopoeia for jingling”) → チャラい (charai, “flashy”)

(informal) suffix forming adjectives: -ic; -al


た

-ta (romanization)
たら (imperfective stem)
たろ (imperfective stem)
tara (imperfective stem)
taro (imperfective stem)
たり (continuative stem)
て (continuative stem)
tari (continuative stem)
te (continuative stem)
た (stem terminative)
ta (stem terminative)
た (attributive stem)
ta (attributive stem)
たら (hypothetical stem)
tara (hypothetical stem)
たろう (volitional)
tarō (volitional)
たら (conditional hypothetical)
たらば (conditional hypothetical)
tara (conditional hypothetical)
taraba (conditional hypothetical)

table
From たる (taru), the 連体形 (rentaikei, “adnominal form”) of the classical auxiliary verb たり (tari), in turn a contraction of てあり (te ari), from て (te, conjunctive form of classical completion auxiliary つ (tsu)) + あり (ari).
Doublet of てある (-te aru).

だ

-da, when used on -bu, -gu, -mu, and -nu godan verbs

昨日出張から帰ってきた

I returned from my business trip yesterday.

原稿をやっと書いたよ

掃除が終わったら、ごみを出しに行きなさい

Once you have finished cleaning, go dispose of the trash.

Sōji ga owattara, gomi o dashi ni iki nasai

あの人はもう起きたろうか

I wonder if he has woken up.
(please add an English translation of this quotation)

話が出た時点で考えよう

Let's talk about it later when that question actually comes up.

今度会ったとき話すよ

indicates the realization of a situation that has not realized

割れたガラス窓から風が吹き込む

The wind keeps blowing in through the broken glass window.

Wareta garasu mado kara kaze ga fukikomu

indicates the resulting state of an action

あれ、君はそこにいたの

坊やは今年いくつだった

もうやめた
Mō yameta
I have had enough.

よし、その品買った

あとは頼んだぞ。

indicates speaker's declaration, confirmation, or sudden realization

待った

さあ、どんどん歩いた、歩いた

どいた、どいた。

at the end of a sentence:
makes a light command


で

Daijirin
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

Considered to be a contraction of にて (nite), where the ni is the continuative form of the negative auxiliary ず (zu). In use since Early Middle Japanese, and first attested in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter of the late 800s.

(Classical Japanese, archaic) Attaches to the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) of verbs to form the negative conjunctive, equivalent to the modern ないで (-naide) or ずに (-zuni).


す

ja-pos

す • (-su) godan (stem し (-shi), past した (-shita))

-su (romanization)
し (stem)
した (past)
-さ (imperfective stem)
-sa (imperfective stem)
-し (continuative stem)
-shi (continuative stem)
-す (stem terminative)
-su (stem terminative)
-す (attributive stem)
-su (attributive stem)
-せ (hypothetical stem)
-se (hypothetical stem)
-せ (imperative stem)
-se (imperative stem)
-そう (volitional)
-sō (volitional)
-さない (negative)
-sanai (negative)
-さず (continuative negative)
-sazu (continuative negative)
-します (formal)
-shimasu (formal)
-した (perfective)
-shita (perfective)
-して (conjunctive)
-shite (conjunctive)
-せば (conditional hypothetical)
-seba (conditional hypothetical)
せ (irrealis stem)
se (irrealis stem)
せ (continuative stem)
se (continuative stem)
す (stem terminative)
su (stem terminative)
する (attributive stem)
suru (attributive stem)
すれ (realis stem)
sure (realis stem)
せよ (imperative stem)
seyo (imperative stem)
せず (negative)
sezu (negative)
すれど (contrastive)
suredo (contrastive)
すれば (causative)
sureba (causative)
せば (conditional)
seba (conditional)
せき (past)
seki (past)
せけり (past)
sekeri (past)
せつ (perfect)
setu (perfect)
せぬ (perfect)
senu (perfect)
せたり (continuative perfect)
setari (continuative perfect)
せむ (volitional)
semu (volitional)

The original form of the causative ending. Ultimately cognate with す (su), the ancient form of modern する (suru, “to do”).
In a modern synchronic analysis, sometimes analyzed as a contraction of せる (seru).

(chiefly dialectal and colloquial) Alternative form of せる (seru, “causative suffix”)


め

-me (romanization)
め (hiragana historical)

⟨me₂⟩ → */məɨ/ → /me/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *may. Cognate with 目(ま) (ma, bound form). Now the modern Japanese term for eye.
Probably cognate with 見る (miru, “to see, to look”).
May also be cognate with 芽 (me, “bud, shoot”), perhaps from the “visually prominent feature” sense, and with suppositional / volitional verb suffix む (mu) (presenting in modern Japanese verb conjugations as the -ō or -yō endings), perhaps from the “seem like, look like” sense.

三本目のボトル

目: -st, -nd, -rd, or -th, for ordinal numbers (e.g. 8th or eighth, 9th or ninth)

結び目、編み目、効き目

knot (literally, “tying + [visual feature]”), stitch (literally, “knitting + [visual feature]”), effect or efficacy (literally, “working, having an effect + [visual feature]”)

目: visually prominent feature of something

多い (ooi) + め (-me) → 多め (oome)

控える (hikaeru) + め (-me) → 控えめ (hikaeme)

め: (attached to verb or i-adjective roots to produce na-adjectives, not productive with verbs) to a more exaggerated degree


め

First cited to The Tale of the Heike from the early 1300s.
Might be a shift in usage of 目 (me, “visually prominent feature”). The 奴 spelling does not appear to be common, and this is not included in all dictionaries.

ばか奴！

「来いといったら来い。シュッチュカ奴。馬鹿な奴だ。己れはどうもしやしない。」
“Koi to ittara koi. Shutchuka-me. Baka na yatsu da. Onore wa dōmo shi ya shinai.”

1910 [1901], Leonid Andreyev, translated by Mori Ōgai, Inu [Dog], translation of Snapper

"If I say come, come. Silly Žučka. You fool. I won't do anything to you."

奴: derogatory suffix attached to people's names or words that refer to people, animals, etc.


な

table
Clipping of polite imperative auxiliary verb form なさい (nasai).

あっちへ行きな、ぼうや。
Atchi e ikina, bōya.
Go over there, boy → Get out of the way, boy!

座りなよ。 ― suwarina yo. ― Sit → Have a seat.

(informal, added after the stem form of a verb) indicates an imperative statement or command: do


ゆき

この電車は奈良行きです。


いと

Likely from Old Japanese [Term?]. Attested from at least the mid-ninth century.

(archaic) affixed to a noun referring to a person, indicating early childhood


(teen girl's slang) Alternative spelling of ちゃん (chan)


ない

From Old Japanese. The adjectivizing suffix appears to derive ultimately from ancient copula or stative verb ぬ (nu).

切ない、幼けない、ぎこちない

very moving, really young of manner, having clumsiness

(non-productive) used to form derivative -i adjectives from other terms: having that quality, having that state; very much that quality or state

不甲斐ない

good-for-nothing, disappointing, timid, shameful, useless