What does “kako” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kako” to mean ‘the past’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, 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 “kako” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kako”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kako”.
- kako – 過去 (かこ) : a noun meaning ‘the past’ in Japanese.
Grammatically this is a noun. In Japanese, however, many time-related nouns can also work as adverbs. “Kako” is one of them. It can work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence, for example, to mean ‘in the past’ in Japanese. This fact would sound a bit weird to Japanese learners, but is not unique to the Japanese language. In English, for example, “past” can work as a noun, an adverb, and even an adjective. So, Japanese learners, especially those who are familiar with English, can easily understand this point, I think.
The definition and meaning of “kako” are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “kako” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “kako” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 過 : a kanji character widely used to refer to the act of passing.
- 去 : a kanji character widely used to refer to the act of leaving. This kanji can also be found in other words like “kyonen“.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kako” literally means ‘passing and leaving’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. The past is anyway something which has already passed and left.
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 “kako” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kako” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “the past” in Japanese
kako kara genzai, soshite mirai e – 過去から現在、そして未来へ (かこからげんざい、そしてみらいへ)
From the past to the present, and to the future
Below are the new words used in the example.
- kara – から : a case particle used to say when something starts. In the example, this is used after “kako” to say when the thing has started.
- genzai – 現在 (げんざい) : a noun meaning ‘the present’ in Japanese.
- soshite – そして : a conjunction meaning ‘and’ or such in Japanese.
- mirai – 未来 (みらい) : a noun meaning ‘the future’ in Japanese.
- e – へ : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “mirai” to say where the thing will go.
This is a typical usage of “kako”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “kara”, to mean ‘from the past’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kako”
boku tachi wa tokidoki kako wo furikaeru – 僕達は時々過去を振り返る (ぼくたちはときどきかこをふりかえる)
We sometimes look back to the past.
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.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its plural form, “boku tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kako” to make the object in the sentence.
- furikaeru – 振り返る (ふりかえる) : a verb meaning ‘to look back’ or such in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “kako”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used phrase, “kako wo furikaeru”, which means ‘to look back to the past’ in Japanese. When we want to say “the past” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kako” 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.
- kako – 過去 (かこ) : a noun meaning ‘the past’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence, for example, to mean ‘in the past’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘passing and leaving’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. The past is anyway something which has already passed and left.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
