What does “ginga” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “ginga” to mean ‘galaxy’ 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 “ginga” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “ginga”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “ginga”.
- ginga – 銀河 (ぎんが) : a noun meaning ‘galaxy’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
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.
Ginga in kanji
The kanji expression of “ginga” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 銀 : a kanji character used to mean ‘silver’ in Japanese.
- 河 : a kanji character used to mean ‘river’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “ginga” literally means a ‘silver river’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. In Japanese, galaxies can be considered as silver-colored rivers in the universe. Honestly I do not think this kanji concept represents well what galaxies really are, but I love this kanji combination. It’s very cool.
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 “ginga” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ginga” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “galaxy” in Japanese
watashi tachi wa atarashii ginga wo mitsuke ta – 私達は新しい銀河を見つけた (わたしたちはあたらしいぎんがをみつけた)
We found a new galaxy.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ 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 “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- atarashii – 新しい (あたらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘new’ in Japanese. In the example, this works in front of “ginga” to modify it.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this works after “atarashii ginga” to make the object in the sentence.
- 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.
- 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 “mitsuke” to make its past tense form, “mitsuke ta”.
This is a typical usage of “ginga”. In the example, it works together with “atarashii” to say “a new galaxy” in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “ginga”
kono ginga wa ōkiku te utsukushii – この銀河は大きくて美しい (このぎんがはおおきくてうつくしい)
This galaxy is large and beautiful.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kono – この : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used in front of “ginga” to say “this galaxy” in Japanese.
- ōkiku – 大きく (おおきく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “ōkii“, which means ‘large’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “ōkiku” to make its te form, “ōkiku te”.
- utsukushii – 美しい (うつくしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “ginga”. In this example, it works together with the determiner, “kono”, to say “this galaxy” in Japanese. When we want to say “galaxy” in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ginga” 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.
- ginga – 銀河 (ぎんが) : a noun meaning ‘galaxy’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘silver river’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. In Japanese, galaxies can be considered as silver-colored rivers in the universe. Honestly I do not think this kanji concept represents well what galaxies really are, but I love this kanji combination. It’s very cool.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.