What does “houseki” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “houseki” often to mean ‘jewel’ 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 “houseki” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “houseki”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “houseki”.
- houseki – 宝石 (ほうせき) : a noun meaning ‘jewel’ or ‘gem’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Normally, Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to jewels. Sometimes, they use this as a metaphor for shiny or valuable objects.
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.
Houseki in kanji
The kanji expression of “houseki” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 宝 : a kanji character used to mean ‘treasure’ in Japanese.
- 石 : a kanji character used to mean ‘stone’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that the formed noun literally means a ‘treasure stone’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still very close, I think. Jewels are often valuable stones like treasures.
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 “houseki” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “houseki” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “jewel” in Japanese
boku wa houseki wo mitsuke ta – 僕は宝石を見つけた (ぼくはほうせきをみつけた)
I found a jewel.
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.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “houseki” 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 “houseki”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence.
Example #2: another usage of “houseki”
hoshi wa yozora no houseki desu – 星は夜空の宝石です (ほしはよぞらのほうせきです)
The stars are jewels in the night sky.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- hoshi – 星 (ほし) : a noun meaning ‘star’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- yozora – 夜空 (よぞら) : a noun meaning ‘night sky’ in Japanese.
- no – の : a case particle joining two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this works to join “yozora” and “houseki”. The formed phrase literally means ‘jewels in the night sky’ 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 “yozora no houseki” to make it sound polite.
This is another typical usage of “houseki”. In this example, it works as a metaphor for shiny objects.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “houseki” 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.
- houseki – 宝石 (ほうせき) : a noun meaning ‘jewel’ or ‘gem’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘treasure stone’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still very close, I think. Jewels are often valuable stones like treasures. Native speakers sometimes use this noun as a metaphor for shiny or valuable objects.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
