What does “ryokan” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “ryokan” to mean ‘Japanese-style inn’ or ‘Japanese-style hotel’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, 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 to understand “ryokan” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “ryokan”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “ryokan”.
- ryokan – 旅館 (りょかん) : a noun meaning ‘Japanese-style inn’ or ‘Japanese-style hotel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a Japanese-style building where they can stay over night.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Ryokan in kanji
The kanji expression of “ryokan” consists of the following two characters:
- 旅 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘trip’ in Japanese. This kanji can also be found in other words like “ryokou“.
- 館 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘building’ in Japanese.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “ryokan” literally means a ‘trip building’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still close, I think. Inns and hotels are basically buildings for trips.
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 “ryokan” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “ryokan” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “Japanese-style inn” in Japanese
boku tachi wa kinou kono ryokan ni tomat ta – 僕達は昨日この旅館に泊まった (ぼくたちはきのうこのりょかんにとまった)
We stayed at this Japanese-style inn yesterday.
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.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its plural form, “boku tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- kinou – 昨日 (きのう) : a noun meaning ‘yesterday’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “yesterday” in Japanese.
- kono – この : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “ryokan” to say “this Japanese-style inn” in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something is. In the example, this is used after “kono ryokan” to say where “boku tachi” stayed yesterday.
- tomat – 泊まっ (とまっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “tomaru”, which means ‘to stay’ 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. In the example, this is used after “tomat” to make its past tense form, “tomat ta”.
This is a typical usage of “ryokan”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “ryokan ni tomat ta”, which means ‘to have stayed at a Japanese-style inn’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “ryokan”
ryokan wa totemo yokat ta – 旅館はとても良かった (りょかんはとてもよかった)
The Japanese-style inn was very nice.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works to emphasize the meaning of its following word.
- yokat – 良かっ (よかっ) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “yoi“, which means ‘good’, ‘nice’, 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 “ryokan”. In this example, it works just as the subject in the sentence. When we want to refer to a Japanese-style inn in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “ryokan” 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.
- ryokan – 旅館 (りょかん) : a noun meaning ‘Japanese-style inn’ or ‘Japanese-style hotel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Native speakers use this noun to refer to a Japanese-style building where they can stay over night. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘trip building’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still close, I think. Inns and hotels are basically buildings for trips.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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