What does “kakugo” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kakugo” often to mean ‘made-up mind’ 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 “kakugo” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “kakugo”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kakugo”.
- kakugo – 覚悟 (かくご) : a noun meaning ‘made-up mind’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural. Depending on the context and situation, this can also mean ‘determination’ or ‘resolution’.
English doesn’t have a perfect translation for this noun. However, this is often translated as a ‘made-up mind’, ‘determination’, ‘resolution’, or such.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult. Seemingly, the meanings are based on similar concepts. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Kakugo in kanji
The kanji expression of “kakugo” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 覚 : a kanji character used to refer to the act of remembering or recognizing.
- 悟 : a kanji character used to mean ‘enlightenment’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that the formed noun literally means ‘recognizing enlightenment’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still close, I think. Made-up minds are often the keys to recognizing enlightenment. And once we reach enlightenment, our minds will never change.
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 “kakugo” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kakugo” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “made-up mind” in Japanese
watashi no kakugo wa kawara nakat ta – 私の覚悟は変わらなかった (わたしのかくごはかわらなかった)
My made-up mind didn’t change.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi no kakugo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- kawara – 変わら (かわら) : one conjugation of the verb, “kawaru”, which means ‘to change’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- nakat – なかっ : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “nai“, which is used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the example, this is used after “kawara” to deny its meaning.
- 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 “kawara nakat” to make its past tense form, “kawara nakat ta”.
This is a typical usage of “kakugo”. In this example, it works together with the possessive case, “watashi no”, to mean ‘my made-up mind’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kakugo”
boku tachi wa kanojo no kakugo wo kae rare nai – 僕達は彼女の覚悟を変えられない (ぼくたちはかのじょのかくごをかえられない)
We cannot change her determination.
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.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese. In the example, this works together with “no” to mean ‘her’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kanojo no kakugo” to make the object in the sentence.
- kae – 変え (かえ) : one conjugation of the verb, “kaeru”, which means ‘to change’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- rare – られ : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “rareru”, which is used after a verb to make its potential form. In the example, this is used after “kae” to mean ‘can change’ in Japanese.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the example, this is used after “kae rare” to mean ‘cannot change’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “kakugo”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “kanojo no kakugo”, which means ‘her determination’ in Japanese.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kakugo” 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.
- kakugo – 覚悟 (かくご) : a noun meaning ‘made-up mind’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Depending on the context and situation, this can also mean ‘determination’ or ‘resolution’. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘recognizing enlightenment’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still close, I think. Made-up minds are often the keys to recognizing enlightenment. And once we reach enlightenment, our minds will never change.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
