What does “kondo” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kondo” to mean ‘recently’, ‘now’, or ‘next time’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “kondo” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “kondo”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kondo”.
- kondo – 今度 (こんど) : a noun, but quite often used like an adverb to mean ‘recently’, ‘now’, or ‘next time’ in Japanese.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to three different things: the recent past; the current moment; the near future. In Japanese, many time-related nouns can also work as adverbs. “Kondo” is one of them. This Japanese noun is therefore often translated into English as ‘recently’, ‘now’, or ‘next time’.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “kondo” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “kondo” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 今 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘now’. This can also work as a prefix to add the meaning of ‘this’.
- 度 : a kanji character used to mean ‘time’, ‘turn’, or such.
These two kanji characters tell us that “kondo” literally means ‘this time’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still understandable, I think. Native speakers indeed often say “kondo” to refer to a point in time which is close to the current moment – this time.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kondo” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kondo” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “next time” in Japanese
kondo tokyo ni iko u – 今度東京に行こう (こんどとうきょうにいこう)
Let’s go to Tokyo next time!
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- tokyo – 東京 (とうきょう) : a noun meaning ‘Tokyo’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “tokyo” to say where the speakers go next time.
- iko – 行こ (いこ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku“, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- u – う : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its volitional form. In the example, this is used after “iko” to make its volitional form, “iko u”, which can mean ‘let’s go’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “kondo”. In this example, it works like an adverb to say “next time” in Japanese. When we want to say “next time” in Japanese, this word is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “kondo”
kondo watashi no musume wa nippon ni hikkoshi ta – 今度私の娘は日本に引っ越した (こんどわたしのむすめはにっぽんにひっこした)
Recently my daughter moved to Japan.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
- musume – 娘 (むすめ) : a noun meaning ‘daughter’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi no musume” to make the subject in the sentence.
- nippon – 日本 (にっぽん) : a noun meaning ‘Japan’ in Japanese.
- hikkoshi – 引っ越し (ひっこし) : one conjugation of the verb, “hikkosu”, which means ‘to move’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “hikkoshi” to make its past tense form, “hikkoshi ta”, which means ‘to have moved’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “kondo”. Again it works like an adverb, but means ‘recently’ in this example. When we want to refer to a point in the recent past in Japanese, “kondo” is a good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kondo” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kondo – 今度 (こんど) : a noun, but quite often used like an adverb to mean ‘recently’, ‘now’, or ‘next time’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters mean ‘this time’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still understandable, I think. Native speakers indeed often say “kondo” to refer to a point in time which is close to the current moment – this time.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
