What does “kokoro” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kokoro” normally to mean ‘heart’ 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 together with its origin. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “kokoro” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “kokoro”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kokoro”.
- kokoro – 心 (こころ) : a noun meaning ‘heart’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural. Depending on the context and situation, this can also mean ‘mind’ or ‘feeling’ in Japanese.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its origin in detail.
What did “kokoro” originally mean in Japanese?
There are various opinions. It is said, however, that “kokoro” was derived from the old Japanese verb, “kogoru”. This was originally used to refer to the act of gathering something. Japanese people in the past then started to use this verb also to refer to the act of storing emotions and feelings. This was the very beginning of today’s role of “kokoro”. As times change, pronunciations and parts of speech can change as well. Today, “kokoro” works as a noun to refer to a place where emotions and feelings are stored.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kokoro” together with its origin. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “heart” in Japanese
watashi no kokoro wa mada atatakai desu – 私の心はまだ温かいです (わたしのこころはまだあたたかいです)
My heart is still warm.
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 kokoro” to make the subject in the sentence.
- mada – まだ : an adverb meaning ‘still’ or such in Japanese.
- atatakai – 温かい (あたたかい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘warm’ in Japanese.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “atatakai” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “kokoro”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “watashi no kokoro”, which means ‘my heart’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kokoro”
boku wa kokoro no soko kara kanashikat ta – 僕は心の底から悲しかった (ぼくはこころのそこからかなしかった)
I was sad from the bottom of my heart.
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.
- 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 particle joins “kokoro” and “soko”. The formed phrase literally means ‘the bottom of a heart’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
- soko – 底 (そこ) : a noun meaning ‘bottom’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- kara – から : a case particle used to say where something starts. In the example, this is used after “kokoro no soko” to say “from the bottom of my heart” in Japanese.
- kanashikat – 悲しかっ (かなしかっ) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “kanashii“, which means ‘sad’ 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. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “kanashikat” to make its past tense form, “kanashikat ta”.
This is another typical usage of “kokoro”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used phrase, “kokoro no soko kara”, which literally means ‘from the bottom of a heart’ in Japanese. When we want to mean ‘heart’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kokoro” in detail together with its origin. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kokoro – 心 (こころ) : a noun meaning ‘heart’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Depending on the context and situation, this can also mean ‘mind’ or ‘feeling’ in Japanese. There are various opinions on the origin of this noun. It is said, however, that this noun was derived from the old Japanese verb, “kogoru”. This was originally used to refer to the act of gathering something. Japanese people in the past then started to use the verb also to refer to the act of storing emotions and feelings. This was the very beginning of today’s role of “kokoro”. As times change, pronunciations and parts of speech can change as well. Today, this noun works to refer to a place where emotions and feelings are stored.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
