What does “kage” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kage” to mean ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, video games, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word with its two different kanji expressions. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “kage” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “kage”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kage”.
- kage – 陰/影 (かげ) : a noun meaning ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
It has two different kanji expressions. The first one refers to a dark area made by the object blocking light; the second one focuses more on the shape of a dark area. Therefore, these two correspond well to the English nouns, “shade” and “shadow”, respectively. Japanese people, however, do not often differentiate one from the other. So, we can use them interchangeably in many cases.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. Then, let me explain how to use this noun through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “shadow” in Japanese
kore wa boku no kage desu – これは僕の影です (これはぼくのかげです)
This is my shadow.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kore – これ : a demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘this’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kore” to make the subject in the sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its possessive case, “boku no”, which means ‘my’ 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 the noun phrase, “boku no kage”, to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “kage”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “boku no kage”, which means ‘my shadow’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kage”
yuugata wa kage ga nobiru – 夕方は影が伸びる (ゆうがたはかげがのびる)
Shadows lengthen in the evening.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- yuugata – 夕方 (ゆうがた) : a noun meaning ‘evening’ in Japanese. In the example, this works together with “wa” to make the adverb phrase which means ‘in the evening’.
- 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 “kage” to make the subject in the sentence.
- nobiru – 伸びる (のびる) : a verb meaning ‘to lengthen’, ‘to get longer’, or such in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “kage”. When we want to say “shade” or “shadow” in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kage” with its two different kanji expressions. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kage – 陰/影 (かげ) : a noun meaning ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. This has two different kanji expressions. The first one refers to a dark area made by the object blocking light; the second one focuses more on the shape of a dark area. Therefore, these two correspond well to the English nouns, “shade” and “shadow”, respectively. Japanese people, however, do not often differentiate one from the other. So, we can use them interchangeably in many cases.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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