What does “yotei” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “yotei” to mean ‘plan’ in Japanese. Very simple, I think. 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 “yotei” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “yotei”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “yotei”.
- yotei – 予定 (よてい) : a noun meaning ‘plan’, ‘schedule’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to something they’ve decided to do or be already. So, its usage is very similar to that of “plan” in English. Japanese learners, especially those who are familiar with English, can easily understand this noun, I guess.
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.
“Yotei” in kanji
The kanji expression of “yotei” consists of the following two characters:
- 予 : a kanji character often used to add the meaning of ‘pre-‘.
- 定 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘decide’, ‘define’, or such.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “yotei” literally means ‘pre-decided’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation seems to be completely in line with the meanings. A plan is, anyway, something pre-decided to do or be.
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 “yotei” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “yotei” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “plan” in Japanese
ashita yotei ga ari masu ka – 明日予定がありますか (あしたよていがありますか)
Do you have any plan tomorrow?
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ashita – 明日 (あした) : a noun meaning ‘tomorrow’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb.
- 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 “yotei” to make the subject in the sentence.
- ari – あり : one conjugation of the verb, “aru”, which is used to express the existence of things. In the example, this is used to express the existence of “yotei”.
- 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 “ari” to make it sound polite.
- ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to make the question. This is often used with the pitch raised.
This is a typical usage of “yotei”. In the example, it means ‘plan’ and works as the subject in the sentence.
Japanese native speakers often use this example sentence to ask someone if he or she has any plan in Japanese. So, it’s worth knowing.
Example #2: another usage of “yotei”
ashita wa tokyo ni iku yotei desu – 明日は東京に行く予定です (あしたはとうきょうにいくよていです)
I’m going to Tokyo tomorrow.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works as a topic marker after “ashita” to put a focus on it.
- tokyo – 東京 (とうきょう) : a noun meaning ‘Tokyo’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “tokyo” to say where the speaker is going tomorrow.
- iku – 行く (いく) : a verb meaning ‘to go’ 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 “yotei” to make it sound polite.
This is another typical usage of “yotei”. It is often preceded by a clause which describes the plan in detail. In this example, actually, it is preceded by the clause “tokyo ni iku” to literally mean ‘a plan to go to Tokyo’. The formed clause has been translated into English as just “I’m going to Tokyo”, though. Unfortunately, Japanese doesn’t have a clear future tense, so “yotei” often works to make a future-tensed sentence like this example.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “yotei” based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- yotei – 予定 (よてい) : a noun meaning ‘plan’, ‘schedule’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. These two kanji characters mean ‘pre-‘ and ‘decide’ respectively, so this noun literally means ‘pre-decided’ in Japanese. A plan is, anyway, something pre-decided to do or be. So, the kanji expression is very reasonable. When we want to say “plan” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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