What does “ringo” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “ringo” to mean ‘apple’ in Japanese. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail with its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “ringo” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “ringo”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “ringo”.
- ringo – 林檎 (りんご) : a noun meaning ‘apple’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese people use this noun to refer to an apple or apples. Its kanji expression is very difficult not only for Japanese learners, but for Japanese people as well. So, the hiragana expression is very acceptable. It’s also worth mentioning here that the katakana expression, “リンゴ”, is sometimes used.
The definition and meaning are very simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Ringo in kanji
The kanji expression of “ringo” consists of the following two characters:
- 林 : a kanji character used to mean ‘woods’ in Japanese.
- 檎 : a kanji character derived from “禽” which means ‘bird’ or ‘birds’ in the old Chinese language.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “ringo” means the woods and birds. This literal interpretation is not really in line with the meanings. Interestingly, however, we can see the intention of people in the past who used these two kanji characters. The first one referred to the place where apples were grown; the second expressed the attraction of the fruit to birds.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand the concepts behind them. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the concepts of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could deepen the understanding of the concept of “ringo” through the detailed check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “ringo” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “apples” in Japanese
boku wa kyou ringo wo tabe ta – 僕は今日りんごを食べた (ぼくはきょうりんごをたべた)
I ate an apple today.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is mainly used 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.
- kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “today” in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “ringo” to make the object in the sentence.
- tabe – 食べ (たべ) : one conjugation of the verb, “taberu“, which means ‘to eat’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- 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 “tabe” to make its past tense form, “tabe ta”.
This is a typical usage of “ringo”. In the example, it works as plural to say “apples” in Japanese. When we want to say “apple” or “apples” in Japanese, this noun is the best option.
Example #2: another usage of “ringo”
kanojo wa ringo ga suki desu ka – 彼女はりんごが好きですか (かのじょはりんごがすきですか)
Does she like apples?
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ 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 “ringo” to make the object word 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, it works 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.
- ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. This is normally used with the pitch raised. As the definition suggests, this works at the end of the example sentence to make the question.
This is another typical usage of “ringo”. “Ringo ga suki” which means ‘to like apples’ in Japanese is somehow often used in Japanese textbooks as a typical example sentence.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ringo” in detail with its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- ringo – 林檎 (りんご) : a noun meaning ‘apple’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. The kanji expression is very difficult not only for Japanese learners, but for Japanese people as well. So, the hiragana expression is very acceptable. It’s also worth mentioning here that the katakana expression, “リンゴ”, is sometimes used. When we want to say “apple” or “apples” in Japanese, this noun is the best option.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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