What does “kaban” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kaban” to mean ‘bag’ in Japanese. Very simple. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word well as it is quite often used in Japanese daily 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 to understand “kaban” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kaban”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kaban”.
- kaban – 鞄 (かばん) : a noun meaning ‘bag’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to something we can use to put things in and carry with hands.
The definition and meaning are very simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji character in detail.
Kaban in kanji
The kanji character, “鞄”, consists of the following two components:
- 革 : a kanji character used to mean ‘leather’ in Japanese.
- 包 : a kanji character used to express the act of covering or wrapping in Japanese. This is not completely the same as the right part of “鞄”, but both have the same root.
From these two kanji components, we can understand that “kaban” literally means ‘leather for wrapping’. This kanji concept is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. People in the past used a piece of leather to wrap things and carry them.
When we meet new kanji characters, we should check their components in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji components tell us a lot about meanings of characters they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kaban” through the detailed check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “kaban” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “bag” in Japanese
kore wa boku no kaban desu – これは僕の鞄です (これはぼくのかばんです)
This is my bag.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kore – これ : a demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘this’, ‘it’, or such in Japanese. Native speakers use this to refer to a thing close to them.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kore” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its possessive case, “boku no”, which means ‘my’ 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 “boku no kaban” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “kaban”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “boku no kaban”, to say “my bag” in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kaban”
kare wa musume ni atarashii kaban wo kat ta – 彼は娘に新しい鞄を買った (かれはむすめにあたらしいかばんをかった)
He bought his daughter a new bag.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- musume – 娘 (むすめ) : a noun meaning ‘daughter’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say to whom an action is directed. In the example, this is used after “musume” to say to whom “kare” bought a new bag.
- atarashii – 新しい (あたらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘new’ in Japanese. In the example, this works to modify “kaban”.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “atarashii kaban”, to make the object in the sentence.
- kat – 買っ (かっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “kau”, which means ‘to buy’ 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 “kat” to make its past tense form, “kat ta”.
This is another typical usage of “kaban”. In this example, it works together with “atarashii” to say “a new bag” in Japanese. When we want to say “bag” or “bags” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kaban” 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.
- kaban – 鞄 (かばん) : a noun meaning ‘bag’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. The two components of this kanji character literally mean ‘leather for wrapping’. This kanji concept is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close. People in the past used a piece of leather to wrap things and carry them.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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