What does “kasumi” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kasumi” to mean ‘mist’ 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 character. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “kasumi” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kasumi”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kasumi”.
- kasumi – 霞 (かすみ) : a noun meaning ‘mist’ in Japanese.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to small droplets in the air. So, its usage is very similar to that of the English noun, “mist”, I think.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji character in detail.
Kasumi in kanji
The kanji character of “kasumi” consists of the following two parts:
- 雨 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘rain’ in Japanese.
- 叚 : a kanji character used to express the act of covering.
These two parts tell us that “kasumi” literally means ‘covering rain’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. A mist is normally a collection of small droplets in the air. This meteorological phenomenon is close to what the kanji parts express.
When we meet new kanji characters, we should check their parts in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji parts tell us a lot about the meanings of the characters they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kasumi” through the detailed check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kasumi” together with its kanji character. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “mist” in Japanese
shiroi kasumi ga yama wo oot ta – 白い霞が山を覆った (しろいかすみがやまをおおった)
The white mist covered the mountain.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- shiroi – 白い (しろい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘white’ in Japanese. In the example, this works together with “kasumi” to say “white mist” in Japanese.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “shiroi kasumi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- yama – 山 (やま) : a noun meaning ‘mountain’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “yama” to make the object in the sentence.
- oot – 覆っ (おおっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “oou”, which means ‘to cover’ or such 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 “oot” to make its past tense form, “oot ta”.
This is a typical usage of “kasumi”. In this example, it works together with the i-adjective, “shiroi”, to say “white mist” in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kasumi”
ore tachi wa kasumi no naka wo arui ta – 俺達は霞の中を歩いた (おれたちはかすみのなかをあるいた)
We walked in the mist.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ore – 俺 (おれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ rudely in Japanese.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “ore” to make its plural form, “ore tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “ore tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “kasumi” and “naka”. The formed phrase literally means ‘the inside of the mist’ in Japanese. It has been translated into English as just ‘in mist’, though. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is similar to those of some English prepositions.
- naka – 中 (なか) : a noun meaning ‘inside’ in Japanese.
- arui – 歩い (あるい) : one conjugation of the verb, “aruku“, which means ‘to walk’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “kasumi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “kasumi no naka”, which literally means ‘the inside of the mist’ in Japanese. When we want to mean ‘mist’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kasumi” in detail based on its kanji character. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kasumi – 霞 (かすみ) : a noun meaning ‘mist’ in Japanese. Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to small droplets in the air. So, the usage of this noun is very similar to that of the English one, “mist”. Two kanji parts literally mean ‘covering rain’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. A mist is normally a collection of small droplets in the air. This meteorological phenomenon is close to what the kanji parts express.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
