What does “kotoba” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kotoba” to mean ‘word’, ‘phrase’, or sometimes ‘language’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese textbooks. 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 to understand “kotoba” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “kotoba”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kotoba”.
- kotoba – 言葉 (ことば) : a noun meaning ‘word’, ‘phrase’, or sometimes ‘language’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers usually use this noun to refer to what someone says. So, it can refer to a word, phrase, or sometimes language.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Kotoba in kanji
The kanji expression of “kotoba” consists of the following two characters:
- 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’ in Japanese. This can also work as a metaphor for a piece or part of something.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kotoba” literally means a ‘piece or part of what someone says’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. A piece or part of what someone says is often a 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 many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kotoba” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “kotoba” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “words” in Japanese
boku wa atarashii kotoba ga suki desu – 僕は新しい言葉が好きです (ぼくはあたらしいことばがすきです)
I like new words.
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.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- atarashii – 新しい (あたらしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘new’ 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 “atarashii kotoba” to make the object in the sentence.
- suki – 好き (すき) : one conjugation of the na-adjective, “sukina”, which means ‘favorite’ in Japanese. Native speakers, however, often use this as an individual word to mean ‘to like’ or ‘to love’ in Japanese. In the example, actually, this is used to mean ‘to like’.
- 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 “suki” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “kotoba”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “atarashii kotoba”, which means ‘new words’ in Japanese. When we want to say “words” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “kotoba”
kare wa kanojo no kotoba ga wakara nai – 彼は彼女の言葉が分からない (かれはかのじょのことばがわからない)
He doesn’t understand her language.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ 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 “kanojo” to make its possessive case, “kanojo no”, which means ‘her’ in Japanese.
- 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 the better connection with its following word.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is similar to that of “not”. In this example, this is used after “wakara” to deny its meaning.
This is another typical usage of “kotoba”. In this example, it works together with the possessive case, “kanojo no”, to mean ‘her language’ in Japanese. Its meaning can vary depending on the situation and context. Its basic concept is, however, a piece or part of what someone says. This concept always helps us to understand what this noun means.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kotoba” 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.
- kotoba – 言葉 (ことば) : a noun meaning ‘word’, ‘phrase’, or sometimes ‘language’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘piece or part of what someone says’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. A piece or part of what someone says is often a word, phrase, or language.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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