What does “jisho” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “jisho” to mean ‘dictionary’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese textbooks. 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 “jisho” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “jisho”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “jisho”.
- jisho – 辞書 (じしょ) : a noun meaning ‘dictionary’ 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.
What does “jisho” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “jisho” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 辞 : a kanji character used to mean ‘word’ in Japanese.
- 書 : a kanji character used to mean ‘book’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that the formed noun literally means a ‘book of words’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still very close, I think. Dictionaries are often books which contain many words.
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 “jisho” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “jisho” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “dictionary” in Japanese
kyou boku wa jisho wo kat ta – 今日僕は辞書を買った (きょうぼくはじしょをかった)
Today I bought a dictionary.
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 almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works as an adverb at the beginning of the sentence to say “today”.
- 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 “jisho” 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 “jisho”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence.
Example #2: another usage of “jisho”
watashi mo nihongo no jisho wo kat ta – 私も日本語の辞書を買った (わたしもにほんごのじしょをかった)
I bought a Japanese dictionary, too.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’, ‘also’, or ‘as well’. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.
- nihongo – 日本語 (にほんご) : a noun meaning ‘Japanese’ or ‘the Japanese language’ 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 “nihongo” and “jisho”. The formed phrase literally means a ‘Japanese dictionary’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “jisho”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “nihongo no jisho”, which means a ‘Japanese dictionary’ in Japanese. When we want to mean a ‘dictionary’ in Japanese, anyway, “jisho” is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “jisho” 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.
- jisho – 辞書 (じしょ) : a noun meaning ‘dictionary’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘book of words’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still very close, I think. Dictionaries are often books which contain many words.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
