How to say “promise” in Japanese
Japanese people would say “yakusoku”. It is the Japanese word for ‘promise’. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain its verb form which means ‘to promise’ in Japanese. Let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “yakusoku”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “yakusoku”.
- yakusoku – 約束 (やくそく) : a noun meaning ‘promise’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Its definition and meaning are very simple and clear, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
“Yakusoku” in kanji
Below are the kanji characters used in “yakusoku”.
- 約 : a kanji character used to mean ‘engagement’ or ‘promise’ in Japanese.
- 束 : a kanji character used to mean ‘bundle’, ‘bunch’, or ‘flux’ in Japanese.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “yakusoku” literally means ‘a bundle of promises’. Its kanji concept seems to be in line with its meaning.
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 “yakusoku” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “yakusoku” through the example sentence below.
Example #1: how to say “promise” in Japanese
kore wa watashi tachi no yakusoku desu – これは私達の約束です (これはわたしたちのやくそくです)
This is our promise.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kore – これ : a demonstrative pronoun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used to say “this” in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after “kore” to make the subject in the sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ 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 tachi” to make its possessive case, “watashi tachi no”, which means ‘our’ 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 “yakusoku” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “yakusoku”. When we want to say “promise” in Japanese, this word would be the best choice.
Verb form: yakusoku suru
Next, then, let me explain the verb form as follows.
- yakusoku suru – 約束する (やくそくする) : a verb meaning ‘to promise’ or ‘to make a promise’ in Japanese.
“Suru” is added. Normally it works as a verb to mean ‘to do’ or ‘to perform’ in Japanese. When it follows a noun, however, it can work to make the verb form of the preceding noun. In this case, therefore, it can work to make the verb form of “yakusoku” which means ‘to promise’ in Japanese.
Let me explain how to use this verb form through the example sentence below.
Example #2: how to say “to promise” in Japanese
kanojo wa kare to yakusoku shi ta – 彼女は彼と約束した (かのじょはかれとやくそくした)
She made a promise to him.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- to – と : a case particle used to say with whom someone does something. In the example, this is used after “kare” to say with whom “kanojo” made a promise.
- yakusoku shi – 約束し (やくそくし) : one conjugation of the verb, “yakusoku suru”. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word. The conjugations of this verb are subjected to those of “suru”. So, we can focus only on its latter part.
- 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 “yakusoku shi” to make its past tense form.
This is a typical usage of the verb form. When we want to say “to promise” in Japanese, this verb form would be the best choice.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained “yakusoku” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained its verb form. Let me summarize them as follows.
- yakusoku – 約束 (やくそく) : a noun meaning ‘promise’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘a bundle of promises’. So, the kanji concept is in line with the meaning.
- yakusoku suru – 約束する (やくそくする) : a verb meaning ‘to promise’ or ‘to make a promise’ in Japanese. The conjugations of this verb are subjected to those of “suru”.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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