What does “shumi” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “shumi” to mean ‘hobby’, ‘interest’, or ‘taste’ in Japanese. Probably, some Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese conversations. 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 “shumi” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “shumi”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “shumi”.
- shumi – 趣味 (しゅみ) : a noun meaning ‘hobby’, ‘interest’, or ‘taste’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese people often use this noun to refer to things they want to do in their free time. So, sometimes, this noun is translated into English just as, for example, ‘something you want to do in your free time’. It is also worth mentioning here that this noun can refer to someone’s preference. In this case, it can be translated as ‘taste’.
To understand this noun more clearly, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Shumi in kanji
The kanji expression of “shumi” consists of the following two characters:
- 趣 : a kanji character used to mean ‘flavor’, ‘taste’, ‘elegance’, or such in Japanese.
- 味 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘taste’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “shumi” literally means ‘taste’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. Things people want to do in their free time normally suit their taste.
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 “shumi” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “shumi” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to use “shumi”
boku no shumi wa eiga wo miru koto desu – 僕の趣味は映画を見ることです (ぼくのしゅみはえいがをみることです)
I like watching movies in my free time.
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.
- 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.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku no shumi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- eiga – 映画 (えいが) : a noun meaning ‘movie’ or ‘film’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “eiga” to make the object in the clause.
- miru – 見る (みる) : a verb meaning ‘to watch’, ‘to see’, ‘to look’, or such in Japanese.
- koto – こと : a noun working as a noun clause marker. In the example, this is used after “eiga wo miru” to make the noun clause in the sentence.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. In the example, this is used after “eiga wo miru koto” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “shumi”. In the example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “boku no shumi”, which literally means ‘my hobby’ in Japanese. The Japanese sentence has been translated as ‘I like watching movies in my free time’, though.
Example #2: another usage of “shumi”
kono eiga wa boku no shumi ni awa nai – この映画は僕の趣味に合わない (このえいがはぼくのしゅみにあわない)
This movie does not suit my taste.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kono – この : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “eiga” to say “this movie” in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say in which direction an action goes. In the example, this is used after “boku no shumi” to indicate the object to which the action described by “awa nai” is directed.
- awa – 合わ (あわ) : one conjugation of the verb, “au”, which means ‘to suit’, ‘to fit’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is similar to that of “not”. In the example, this is used after “awa” to deny its meaning.
This is another typical usage of “shumi”. In this example, it works again as a part of “boku no shumi”, but the noun phrase means ‘my taste’ this time.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “shumi” 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.
- shumi – 趣味 (しゅみ) : a noun meaning ‘hobby’, ‘interest’, or ‘taste’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Japanese people often use this noun to refer to things they want to do in their free time. So, sometimes, this noun is translated into English just as, for example, ‘something you want to do in your free time’. It is also worth mentioning here that this noun can refer to someone’s preference. In this case, it can be translated as ‘taste’.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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