What does “denwa” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “denwa” to mean ‘phone’ or ‘phone call’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is often 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 to understand “denwa” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “denwa”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “denwa”.
- denwa – 電話 (でんわ) : a noun meaning ‘phone’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this can mean ‘phone call’ as well. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to a phone or phone call. 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.
Denwa in kanji
The kanji expression of “denwa” consists of the following two characters:
- 電 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘electricity’ or to express things related to electricity.
- 話 : a kanji character widely used in Japanese words related to a talk, speech, or some such.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “denwa” literally means a talk based on the electric technology. This kanji concept seems to be in line with the meanings and represents well what we actually do based on the communication system.
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 “denwa” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “denwa” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “phone” in Japanese
watashi wa atarashii denwa wo kat ta – 私は新しい電話を買った (わたしはあたらしいでんわをかった)
I bought a new phone.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- atarashii – 新しい (あたらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘new’ in Japanese. In the example, this works as a modifier to describe its following word, “denwa”.
- 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 denwa”, to make the object in the sentence.
- kat – 買っ (かっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “kau”, which means ‘to buy’ or ‘to purchase’ 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 a typical usage of “denwa”. In the example, it refers to a device which we can use to talk to someone based on the electric technology. When we want to say “phone” in Japanese, this word is a very good choice.
Example #2: another usage of “denwa”
kyou kare kara denwa ga at ta – 今日彼から電話があった (きょうかれからでんわがあった)
Today, I had a phone call from him.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb. In the example, this works as an adverb at the beginning of the sentence to say “today” in Japanese.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- kara – から : a case particle used to say where something starts. Based on this concept, this can also indicate who starts an action. In the example, this is used after “kare” to say who called “watashi”.
- 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 “denwa” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- at – あっ : one conjugation of the verb, “aru”, which means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’ in Japanese. This is widely used to express the existence of things. In the example, this is used to express the existence of the phone call.
This is another usage of “denwa”. As explained above, it can mean not only a device, but a phone call as well. When it refers to a phone call, normally it is followed by either “aru” or “nai”. In general, “aru” expresses the existence of things; “nai” denies the existence of things. When native speakers say “denwa ga aru”, therefore, most probably it means ‘to have a phone call from someone’. Based on the same concept, “denwa ga nai” can mean ‘not to have a phone call from someone’.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “denwa” 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.
- denwa – 電話 (でんわ) : a noun meaning ‘phone’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this can mean ‘phone call’ as well. This can also work as plural. This can mean not only a device, but a phone call as well. When it is followed by either “aru” or “nai”, most probably it refers to a phone call.
- denwa ga aru – 電話がある (でんわがある) : a commonly-used expression meaning ‘to have a phone call from someone’ in Japanese.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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