What does “chizu” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “chizu” to mean ‘map’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese video games, 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 to understand “chizu” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “chizu”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “chizu”.
- chizu – 地図 (ちず) : a noun meaning ‘map’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a drawing which shows an area with useful information. So, its usage is very similar to that of the English noun, “map”, I think.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Chizu in kanji
The kanji expression of “chizu” consists of the following two characters:
- 地 : a kanji character used to mean ‘land’, ‘ground’, or such.
- 図 : a kanji character used to mean ‘drawing’, ‘figure’, or such.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “chizu” literally means ‘land drawing’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Maps are often drawings showing particular lands.
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 meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “chizu” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “chizu” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “map” in Japanese
boku wa tokyo no furui chizu wo kat ta – 僕は東京の古い地図を買った (ぼくはとうきょうのふるいちずをかった)
I bought an old map of Tokyo.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- tokyo – 東京 (とうきょう) : a noun meaning ‘Tokyo’ in Japanese.
- no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns or noun equivalent words. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “tokyo” and “furui chizu”. The formed phrase literally means ‘an old map of Tokyo’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is very similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
- furui – 古い (ふるい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘old’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “tokyo no furui chizu” 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. In the example, this is used after “kat” to make its past tense form, “kat ta”.
This is a typical usage of “chizu”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “tokyo no furui chizu”, which means “an old map of Tokyo” in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “chizu”
kanojo tachi wa atarashii chizu wo mitsuke ta – 彼女達は新しい地図を見つけた (かのじょたちはあたらしいちずをみつけた)
They found a new map.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make its plural form, “kanojo tachi”, which means ‘they’ in Japanese.
- atarashii – 新しい (あたらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘new’ in Japanese.
- mitsuke – 見つけ (みつけ) : one conjugation of the verb, “mitsukeru”, which means ‘to find’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “chizu”. In this example, it works together with “atarashii” to say “a new map” in Japanese. When we want to say “map” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “map” 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.
- chizu – 地図 (ちず) : a noun meaning ‘map’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Native speakers use this to refer to a drawing which shows an area with useful information. So, the usage of this noun is very similar to that of the English one, “map”. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘land drawing’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Maps are often drawings showing particular lands.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
Learn more vocabulary on the app!
You can improve your Japanese vocabulary with our flashcards.
