What does “shuumatsu” mean in Japanese?
There are a few homophones, but native speakers say “shuumatsu” normally to mean ‘weekend’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is quite 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 understand “shuumatsu” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “shuumatsu”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “shuumatsu”.
- shuumatsu – 週末 (しゅうまつ) : a noun meaning ‘weekend’ in Japanese.
Grammatically, this is a noun. In reality, however, this can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In Japanese, many time-related nouns can also work as adverbs. “Shuumatsu” is one of them. This fact is perhaps weird to Japanese learners, but not unique to the Japanese language. In English, for example, “this week” can also work as both a noun and an adverb. So, Japanese learners, especially those who are familiar with English, can easily understand this point, I think.
The definition and meaning are not that difficult. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Shuumatsu in kanji
The kanji expression of “shuumatsu” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 週 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘week’ in Japanese.
- 末 : a kanji character often used as a suffix to add the meaning of ‘end’.
These two kanji characters tell us that “shuumatsu” literally means a ‘weekend’ in Japanese. What the kanji characters express is completely in line with the actual meaning.
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 “shuumatsu” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “shuumatsu” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “this weekend” in Japanese
kono shuumatsu boku wa umi ni iki masu – この週末僕は海に行きます (このしゅうまつぼくはうみにいきます)
This weekend, I will go to the sea.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kono – この : a determiner used before a noun which refers to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “shuumatsu” to say “this weekend” in Japanese.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- umi – 海 (うみ) : a noun meaning ‘sea’ or ‘ocean’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “umi” to say where the speaker will go this weekend.
- 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 “shuumatsu”. In this example, it works together with the determiner, “kono”, to say “this weekend” in Japanese. When we want to say “weekend” in Japanese, anyway, “shuumatsu” is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “shuumatsu”
yoi shuumatsu wo sugoshi te kudasai – 良い週末を過ごしてください (よいしゅうまつをすごしてください)
(Please) have a nice weekend.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- yoi – 良い (よい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘good’, ‘well’, ‘nice’, or ‘fine’ in Japanese. In this example, it works as a modifier in front of “shuumatsu”.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “yoi shuumatsu”, to make the object in the sentence.
- sugoshi – 過ごし (すごし) : one conjugation of the verb, “sugosu”, which means ‘to spend’, ‘to pass’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “sugoshi” to make its te form, “sugoshi te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “kudasai”.
- kudasai – ください : one conjugation of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ or such in Japanese. When this follows a verb, however, this can work like an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of ‘please’. In the example, this works like an auxiliary verb after “sugoshi te” to add the meaning of ‘please’.
This is another typical usage of “shuumatsu”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used phrase, “yoi shuumatsu wo sugoshi te kudasai”, which means ‘have a nice weekend’ in Japanese.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “shuumatsu” 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.
- shuumatsu – 週末 (しゅうまつ) : a noun meaning ‘weekend’ in Japanese. Grammatically this is a noun, but can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘weekend’ in Japanese. So, what the kanji characters express is completely in line with the actual meaning.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
