Kuchiguse is the Japanese word for ‘favorite phrase’, explained

What does “kuchiguse” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “kuchiguse” often to mean ‘favorite phrase’ 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 “kuchiguse” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “kuchiguse”
• What does “kuchiguse” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “favorite phrase” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “kuchiguse”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “kuchiguse”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kuchiguse”.

• kuchiguse – 口癖 (くちぐせ) : a noun meaning ‘favorite phrase’, ‘favorite word’, ‘habit of saying’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to a phrase or word which someone quite often says in conversations.

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.

What does “kuchiguse” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “kuchiguse” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 口 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘mouth’ in Japanese.
• 癖 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘habit’ in Japanese.

These two kanji characters tell us that “kuchiguse” literally means a ‘mouth habit’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still very close, I think. Favorite phrases are often what people say regularly and repeatedly.

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 “kuchiguse” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kuchiguse” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “favorite phrase” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• are – あれ : a demonstrative pronoun used to refer to something not close to the speaker. In the example, this is used to mean ‘that’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “are” to make the subject in the sentence.
• 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.
• 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 “kanojo no kuchiguse” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “kuchiguse”. In this example, it works together with the possessive case, “kanojo no”, to mean ‘her favorite phrase’ in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “kuchiguse”

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. In the example, this works together with the case particle, “no”, to mean ‘my’ in Japanese.
• gomen – ごめん : a phrase meaning ‘sorry’ or such in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “kuchiguse”. In this example, it works to mean a ‘habit of saying’ in Japanese. When we want to refer to a phrase or word which someone quite often says in conversations, this noun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kuchiguse” 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.

• kuchiguse – 口癖 (くちぐせ) : a noun meaning ‘favorite phrase’, ‘favorite word’, ‘habit of saying’, or such in Japanese. Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to a phrase or word which someone quite often says in conversations. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘mouth habit’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still very close, I think. Favorite phrases are often what people say regularly and repeatedly.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.