What does “kouen” mean in Japanese?
There are some homophones in Japanese, but native speakers say “kouen” normally to mean ‘park’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. 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 “kouen” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kouen”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kouen”.
- kouen – 公園 (こうえん) : a noun meaning ‘park’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to an open green area or areas where they can do some activities. So, the usage of this noun is very similar to that of the English one, “park”, I think.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “kouen” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “kouen” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 公 : a kanji character often used as a prefix to add the meaning of ‘public’.
- 園 : a kanji character used to mean ‘garden’ or ‘orchard’.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kouen” literally means ‘public gardens’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Parks are more or less gardens open to people.
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 “kouen” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kouen” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “park” in Japanese
boku wa kanojo to kouen ni iki mashi ta – 僕は彼女と公園に行きました (ぼくはかのじょとこうえんにいきました)
I went to the park with her.
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.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- to – と : a case particle used to say with whom someone does something. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to say with whom the speaker went to the park.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “kouen” to say where the speakers went.
- iki – 行き (いき) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku“, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- mashi – まし : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “masu”, which is used after a verb to make it polite. In the example, this is used after “iki” to make it sound polite.
- 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 at the end of the verb phrase to make the past tense form.
This is a typical usage of “kouen”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “ni”, to become the object in the sentence.
Example #2: another usage of “kouen”
kouen de sakura wo mi mashi ta – 公園で桜を見ました (こうえんでさくらをみました)
We watched the cherry blossoms in the park.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “kouen” to say where the speakers watched the cherry blossoms.
- sakura – 桜 (さくら) : a noun meaning ‘cherry blossom’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “sakura” to make the object in the sentence.
- mi – 見 (み) : one conjugation of the verb, “miru“, which means ‘to see’, ‘to watch’, ‘to look’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “kouen”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “de”, to say where the speakers watched the cherry blossoms. When we want to say “park” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kouen” 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.
- kouen – 公園 (こうえん) : a noun meaning ‘park’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to an open green area or areas where they can do some activities. So, the usage of this noun is very similar to that of the English one, “park”, I think. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘public gardens’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable. Parks are more or less gardens open to people.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
