How to say 'Capital' in Japanese | 都

word

Meaning

Capital

Reading

Kanji

都Metropolis

Explanation

The Japanese noun '都 (と)' primarily means 'capital', referring to the main city of a country or region, especially where the government is located. It is often used in formal contexts or when discussing administrative or political matters. For example: Tokyo is the capital of Japan「東京は日本の都です」(とうきょうはにほんのとです). Kyoto was once the capital of Japan「京都はかつて日本の都でした」(きょうとはかつてにほんのとでした). The word can also appear in compound nouns, such as '都庁 (とちょう)' (metropolitan government office). While '都' can sometimes refer to a large city or metropolis, its primary and most distinct meaning is 'capital'.

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

1100

Composition

kanji

Handwriting