What does “hinata” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “hinata” often to mean ‘place in the sun’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. 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 “hinata” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “hinata”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “hinata”.
- hinata – 日向 (ひなた) : a noun meaning ‘place in the sun’ or just ‘in the sun’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “hinata” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “hinata” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 日 : a kanji character used to mean ‘sun’, ‘sunlight’, ‘day’, or such in Japanese.
- 向 : a kanji character used to mean ‘direction’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that the formed noun literally means the ‘direction to the sun’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still understandable, I think. Places in the sun can often be considered as places directed to the sun.
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 “hinata” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “hinata” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “in the sun” in Japanese
neko ga hinata de neru – 猫が日向で寝る (ねこがひなたでねる)
Cats sleep in the sun.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- neko – 猫 (ねこ) : a noun meaning ‘cat’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “neko” to make the subject in the sentence.
- de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “hinata” to say where the cats sleep.
- neru – 寝る (ねる) : a verb meaning ‘to sleep’ or ‘to go to bed’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “hinata”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “de”, to indicate the place where the cats sleep. When we want to say “in the sun” in Japanese, this combination is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “hinata”
hinata wa itsumo atatakai desu – 日向はいつも暖かいです (ひなたはいつもあたたかいです)
It’s always warm in the sun.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “hinata” to make the subject in the sentence.
- itsumo – いつも : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘always’ in Japanese.
- atatakai – 暖かい (あたたかい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘warm’ in Japanese.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “atatakai” to make it sound polite.
This is another typical usage of “hinata”. In this example, it works together with the binding particle, “wa”, to become the subject in the sentence. Anyway, when we want to refer to places in the sun in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “hinata” 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.
- hinata – 日向 (ひなた) : a noun meaning ‘place in the sun’ or just ‘in the sun’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean the ‘direction to the sun’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still understandable, I think. Places in the sun can often be considered as places directed to the sun.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
