Kotoba is the Japanese word for ‘word’, ‘phrase’ or ‘language’, explained

How to say “word” in Japanese

Japanese people would use the word, “kotoba”. It’s the Japanese word for ‘word’, ‘phrase’ or ‘language’. In this blog post, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain its related expression which Japanese people quite often use. Let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of kotoba
• Kanji characters used in kotoba
• Example #1: how to use kotoba meaning ‘words’
• Example #2: how to use kotoba meaning ‘language’
• Related expression: kotoba zukai
• Summary

Definition and meanings of kotoba

First of all, let me start with a definition and meanings of “kotoba”.

• kotoba – 言葉 (ことば) : a noun meaning ‘word’, ‘phrase’ or ‘language’ in Japanese.

As you can see here, its definition and meanings are relatively simple and clear. To understand it a bit more, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail.

Kanji characters used in kotoba

Below are the kanji characters used in the word, “kotoba”.

• 言 – a kanji character widely used in Japanese words related to the act of saying.
• 葉 – a kanji character normally used to mean ‘leaf’ or ‘leaves’. It can also be used as a metaphor for a piece or pieces of something.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that the word, “kotoba”, literally means a piece of what we say. This concept formed by these kanji is highly related to its meanings, in other words, ‘word’, ‘phrase’ or ‘language’.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In most cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get a better understanding of “kotoba” though the detailed kanji check above.

Example #1: how to use kotoba meaning ‘words’

Below are new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese. Depending on context, it can also mean one’s boyfriend. In the example, it’s used as just a pronoun, though.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case maker or topic maker. In the example, it is put after the pronoun, “kare”, to make the subject word in the sentence.
• aimaina – 曖昧な (あいまいな) : a na-adjective meaning ‘vague’, ‘ambiguous’ or some such in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle put after a noun to make the object word. In the example, it is put after the noun, “kotoba”, to make the object word in the sentence. It’s written as “wo”, but its actual pronunciation is “o”.
• tsukawa – 使わ (つかわ) : one conjugation of the verb, “tsukau”, meaning ‘to use’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for a better connection with its following word.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb put after a verb or adjective to deny its meaning. In the example, it is put after the conjugated verb, “tsukawa”, to deny its meaning. Perhaps, it’s well known for a part of Japanese nai form for Japanese learners.

This is a typical usage of “kotoba”. Here, it’s used to mean ‘words’. The Japanese phrase, “aimaina kotoba”, has the idiomatic meaning, “ambiguous words”. So, we can easily understand that it means ‘words’ in this sentence. Depending on context, however, it can mean ‘phrase’ or ‘language’.

Example #2: how to use kotoba meaning ‘language’

Below are new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese. Depending on context, it can also mean one’s girlfriend. In the example, it’s used as just a pronoun, though.
• no – の : a case particle put after a noun to make its possessive case. In the example, it is put after the pronoun, “kanojo”, to make its possessive case, “kanojo no”, which means ‘her’ in Japanese.
• hanasu – 話す (はなす) : a verb meaning ‘to speak’ or ‘to talk’ in Japanese. In the example, it is put before the noun, “kotoba”, to describe it.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word. In the example, it is put after the noun, “kotoba”, to make the object word in the sentence.
• wakara – 分から (わから) : one conjugation of the verb, “wakaru“, which means ‘to see’ or ‘to understand’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for a better connection with its following word, “nai“.

This is another typical usage of “kotoba”. Here, it’s used to mean ‘language’. The Japanese phrase, “no hanasu kotoba”, is quite often translated as “one’s language”. This is a kind of idiomatic expression.

Related expression: kotoba zukai

So far, I’ve explained the word, “kotoba”, and its usages through examples. In the next paragraphs, I will explain its related expression. To tell the truth, there are a lot of related expressions of “kotoba”. So, here, I will explain one of the most widely used expressions. “Kotoba zukai” is it.

• kotobazukai – 言葉使い/言葉遣い (ことばづかい) : a noun meaning ‘wording’ or ‘choice of words’ in Japanese.

It has two different kanji expressions – “使い” and “遣い” – but both have the same pronunciation. Basically, these two kanji expression are highly related to the act of using. So, “kotobazukai” literally means ‘use of words’. It can be understood as ‘wording’ or ‘choice of words’. Below is an example.

Below are new words used in the example sentence.

• ni – に : a case particle often used to indicate a particular place to which someone or something goes. Based on this concept, it can also be used to indicate a target of act. In the example, it is put after the noun, “kotobazukai”, to indicate the target to which ‘care’ is heading.
• chui suru – 注意する (ちゅういする) : a verb meaning ‘to care’ or ‘to take care’ in Japanese. It is a verb form of the noun, “chui”, meaning ‘care’ or ‘attention’.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the word, “kotoba”, in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained its usages and its related expression. Let me summarize them as follows.

• kotoba – 言葉 (ことば) : a noun meaning ‘word’, ‘phrase’ or ‘language’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean a piece of what we say. It can be understood as ‘word’, ‘phrase’ or ‘language’.
• kotobazukai – 言葉使い/言葉遣い (ことばづかい) : a noun meaning ‘wording’ or ‘choice of words’ in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.