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How to say 'Motive' in Japanese | 動機

Wondering how to say 'Motive' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Motive is 'Douki', written as 動機 in Japanese.'Motive' in hiragana is どうき.

    word

    動機

    Meaning

    Motive

    Reading

    どうき

    douki

    Kanji

    動Move 機Machine, Opportunity

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '動機 (どうき)' refers to a 'motive' or 'reason' behind an action or decision. It is often used in contexts involving personal intentions, such as in criminal investigations, personal goals, or artistic inspiration. For example: His motive for the crime was unclear「彼の犯罪の動機は不明だった」(かれのはんざいのどうきはふめいだった). The motive behind her decision was her family「彼女の決断の動機は家族だった」(かのじょのけつだんのどうきはかぞくだった). This word is commonly used in both formal and informal settings to discuss the underlying reasons for actions.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N3

    Kanji Grade

    4

    Frequency

    3438

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 動機

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    動

    Meaning

    Move

  • kanji

    機

    Meaning

    Machine, Opportunity

Words Related to 動機 Through the Kanji 動

These 27 Words contain the Kanji 動 as well.

  • word

    動く

    Meaning

    Move

  • word

    自動

    Meaning

    Automatic

  • word

    動き

    Meaning

    Movement

  • word

    動物

    Meaning

    Animal

  • word

    運動

    Meaning

    Exercise

  • word

    活動

    Meaning

    Activity

  • word

    不動産屋

    Meaning

    Real estate agent

  • word

    自動車

    Meaning

    Car

  • word

    動物園

    Meaning

    Zoo

  • word

    動かす

    Meaning

    Move

  • word

    動産

    Meaning

    Movables

  • word

    移動

    Meaning

    Movement, Relocation

  • word

    行動

    Meaning

    Action

  • word

    運動会

    Meaning

    Sports day

  • word

    運動場

    Meaning

    Playground

  • word

    動作

    Meaning

    Movement, Operation

  • word

    変動

    Meaning

    Change, Fluctuation

  • word

    感動

    Meaning

    Emotion, Impression

  • word

    振動

    Meaning

    Vibration

  • word

    動詞

    Meaning

    Verb

  • word

    起動

    Meaning

    Startup

  • word

    動向

    Meaning

    Trend

  • word

    動員

    Meaning

    Mobilization

  • word

    動力

    Meaning

    Power, Motive force

  • word

    動揺

    Meaning

    Disturbance, Agitation

  • word

    流動

    Meaning

    Flow, Fluidity

  • word

    騒動

    Meaning

    Disturbance

Words Related to 動機 Through the Kanji 機

These 20 Words contain the Kanji 機 as well.

  • word

    飛行機

    Meaning

    Airplane

  • word

    機

    Meaning

    Machine

  • word

    機関

    Meaning

    Organization, Engine

  • word

    機会

    Meaning

    Opportunity

  • word

    機能

    Meaning

    Function

  • word

    ジェット機

    Meaning

    Jet

  • word

    機械

    Meaning

    Machine, Mechanism

  • word

    危機

    Meaning

    Crisis

  • word

    洗濯機

    Meaning

    Washing machine

  • word

    扇風機

    Meaning

    Fan

  • word

    掃除機

    Meaning

    Vacuum

  • word

    機嫌

    Meaning

    Mood

  • word

    航空機

    Meaning

    Aircraft

  • word

    機構

    Meaning

    Mechanism, Organization

  • word

    機器

    Meaning

    Equipment

  • word

    機種

    Meaning

    Model, Type

  • word

    有機

    Meaning

    Organic

  • word

    旅客機

    Meaning

    Airliner

  • word

    契機

    Meaning

    Opportunity, Turning point

  • word

    不機嫌

    Meaning

    Displeased

Learn the Word 動機

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What does 'Douki' (動機) mean?

'Douki' means 'Motive' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.