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How to say 'Surname' in Japanese | 名字

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

The Japanese word for Surname is 'Myouji', written as 名字 in Japanese.'Surname' in hiragana is みょうじ.

    word

    名字

    Meaning

    Surname

    Reading

    みょうじ

    myouji

    Kanji

    名Name 字Character

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '名字 (みょうじ)' refers to a person's surname or family name. In Japan, the surname typically comes before the given name, and it is an important part of personal identity. This term is commonly used in formal contexts, such as when filling out official documents or introducing oneself. For example: What is your surname?「あなたの名字は何ですか？」(あなたのみょうじはなんですか？). His surname is Tanaka「彼の名字は田中です」(かれのみょうじはたなかです). It is important to note that '名字' is often used interchangeably with '姓 (せい)', though '名字' can sometimes carry a slightly more formal or traditional nuance.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    1

    Frequency

    813

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 名字

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    名

    Meaning

    Name

  • kanji

    字

    Meaning

    Character

Words Related to 名字 Through the Kanji 名

These 29 Words contain the Kanji 名 as well.

  • word

    名

    Meaning

    Name

  • word

    片仮名

    Meaning

    Katakana

  • word

    平仮名

    Meaning

    Hiragana

  • word

    名前

    Meaning

    Name

  • word

    有名

    Meaning

    Famous

  • word

    送り仮名

    Meaning

    Okurigana

  • word

    人名

    Meaning

    Name

  • word

    国名

    Meaning

    Country name

  • word

    名称

    Meaning

    Name

  • word

    名誉

    Meaning

    Honor

  • word

    宛名

    Meaning

    Addressee

  • word

    大名

    Meaning

    Feudal lord

  • word

    仮名遣い

    Meaning

    Kana usage

  • word

    名乗る

    Meaning

    Introduce

  • word

    名付ける

    Meaning

    Name

  • word

    名詞

    Meaning

    Noun

  • word

    名義

    Meaning

    Name, Title

  • word

    署名

    Meaning

    Signature

  • word

    仮名

    Meaning

    Kana

  • word

    地名

    Meaning

    Placename

  • word

    名人

    Meaning

    Master

  • word

    名所

    Meaning

    Famous place

  • word

    名物

    Meaning

    Specialty

  • word

    題名

    Meaning

    Title

  • word

    名刺

    Meaning

    Business card

  • word

    名札

    Meaning

    Name tag

  • word

    振り仮名

    Meaning

    Furigana

  • word

    代名詞

    Meaning

    Pronoun

  • word

    名簿

    Meaning

    Roster

Words Related to 名字 Through the Kanji 字

These 11 Words contain the Kanji 字 as well.

  • word

    文字

    Meaning

    Character, Letter

  • word

    ローマ字

    Meaning

    Romaji

  • word

    字

    Meaning

    Character

  • word

    数字

    Meaning

    Number

  • word

    十字路

    Meaning

    Crossroads

  • word

    黒字

    Meaning

    Profit

  • word

    活字

    Meaning

    Type

  • word

    字引

    Meaning

    Dictionary

  • word

    漢字

    Meaning

    Kanji

  • word

    赤字

    Meaning

    Deficit

  • word

    十字

    Meaning

    Cross

Learn the Word 名字

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What does 'Myouji' (名字) mean?

'Myouji' means 'Surname' .

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