What does “sanpo” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “sanpo” to mean ‘walk’ or ‘stroll’ 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 to understand “sanpo” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “sanpo”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “sanpo”.
- sanpo – 散歩 (さんぽ) : a noun meaning ‘walk’ or ‘stroll’ in Japanese.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a walk or stroll in Japanese. Its usage is similar to those of the English nouns, I think.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji expression in detail.
Sanpo in kanji
The kanji expression of “sanpo” consists of the following two characters:
- 散 : a kanji character sometimes used as a prefix to add the meaning of ‘scattered’, ‘diffused’, or such.
- 歩 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘step’. This can also be used to express the act of walking.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “sanpo” literally means ‘scattered steps’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. Walks and strolls consist of scattered steps.
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 “sanpo” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “sanpo” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “a walk” in Japanese
boku wa tokidoki sanpo ni iki masu – 僕は時々散歩に行きます (ぼくはときどきさんぽにいきます)
I sometimes go for a walk.
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.
- tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say what purpose an action is taken for. In the example, this is used after “sanpo” to say what the speaker goes for.
- 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.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form. In the example, this is used after “iki” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “sanpo”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “sanpo ni iki masu”, which politely means ‘to go for a walk’ in Japanese. Native speakers sometimes use this expression, so it’s worth knowing.
Example #2: another usage of “sanpo”
watashi mo sanpo ga suki desu – 私も散歩が好きです (わたしもさんぽがすきです)
I like walking, too.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word with adding the meaning of ‘too’, ‘also’, or ‘as well’. In this example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject word in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.
- 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 “sanpo” to make the object 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’. Actually, in the example, this is used 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.
This is another typical usage of “sanpo”. The original meaning of the Japanese sentence is more like ‘I like walks, too’, but it has been translated into English as “I like walking, too.”
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “sanpo” 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.
- sanpo – 散歩 (さんぽ) : a noun meaning ‘walk’ or ‘stroll’ in Japanese. Native speakers use this to refer to a walk or stroll in Japanese. So, the usage of this noun is similar to those of the English ones, I think. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘scattered steps’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close. Walks and strolls consist of scattered steps.
- sanpo ni iki masu – 散歩に行きます (さんぽにいきます) : a Japanese polite expression for ‘to go for a walk’.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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