What does “kanata” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kanata” to mean a ‘place very far from them’ 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 “kanata” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kanata”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kanata”.
- kanata – 彼方 (かなた) : a pronoun used to refer to a very far place in Japanese.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to a place very far from them. Often it is very far in distance, but sometimes can be very far in time. Perhaps, this pronoun is similar to “there” in English.
The definition and meaning are not that difficult, I think. To understand this pronoun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “kanata” literally mean in Japanese?
Tha kanji expression of “kanata” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 彼 : a kanji character used as a pronoun to refer to something far from both the speaker and the listener.
- 方 : a kanji character used to mean ‘direction’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that the formed pronoun literally means a ‘direction to something far’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. A very far place is at least in the direction of something far.
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 “kanata” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kanata” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to use “kanata”
kanojo wa haruka kanata ni it ta – 彼女は遥か彼方に行った (かのじょははるかかなたにいった)
She went to a place way too far from here.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- haruka – 遥か (はるか) : an adverb meaning ‘too’ or such in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “haruka kanata” to say where she went.
- it – 行っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku“, which means ‘to go’ 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 “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.
This is a typical usage of “kanata”. As shown in this example, it is sometimes used together with “haruka” to mean a ‘place way too far from here’ in Japanese. It’s worth knowing.
Example #2: another usage of “kanata”
boku tachi mo kanata e iki tai – 僕たちも彼方へ行きたい (ぼくたちもかなたへいきたい)
We want to go to a place far from here, too.
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.
- mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘also’, ‘as well’, or ‘too’. In the example, this works after “boku tachi” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.
- e – へ : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “kanata” to say where the speakers want to go.
- iki – 行き (いき) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku”, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- tai – たい : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its desire form. In the example, this is used after “iki” to make its desire form, “iki tai”, which means ‘to want to go’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “kanata”. When we want to refer to a place far from us in Japanese, this pronoun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kanata” 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.
- kanata – 彼方 (かなた) : a pronoun used to refer to a very far place in Japanese. Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to a place very far from them. Often it is very far in distance, but sometimes can be far in time. Perhaps, this pronoun is similar to “there” in English. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘direction to something far’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. A very far place is at least in the direction of something far.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
