How to say 'Origin' in Japanese | 源

word

Meaning

Origin

Reading

Kanji

源Origin, Source

Explanation

The Japanese suffix '源 (げん)' means 'origin' or 'source'. It is often used in names, both personal and geographical, to denote the beginning or source of something. For example, it can be found in the name of the famous Japanese historical figure Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源義経, みなもとのよしつね), where '源' signifies the Minamoto clan, one of the most prominent clans in Japanese history. Another example is the word '水源 (すいげん)', which means 'water source'. This suffix is also used in compound words to indicate the origin or source of something, such as '情報源 (じょうほうげん)', meaning 'information source'. Example sentences: The origin of the river is in the mountains「川の源は山にある」(かわのみなもとはやまにある). This book is a good source of information「この本は良い情報源だ」(このほんはよいじょうほうげんだ).

Part Of Speech

suffix

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

3700

Composition

kanji

Handwriting