What is the Kanji for "Language" and "Word"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Language" and "Word", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Language" and "Word" is "語".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Kata".

Its onyomi reading is "Go".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 3 parts:

The kanji "口" means "Mouth" and can be read as "Ku", "Kuchi", and "Kou". The kanji "五" means "Five" and can be read as "Itsu" and "Go". And The kanji "言" means "Say" and can be read as "Gen", "I", "Gon", and "Koto".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "語" mean in japanese?

"語" means "Language" and "Word".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

語: "Word". The Japanese noun '語 (ご)' refers to a word, which is the smallest meaningful unit of language. It is used to express ideas, convey information, and communicate in spoken and written forms. For example: This is a new word - (これは新しい語だ). I don't know the meaning of this word - (この語の意味がわかりません).

語る: "To speak" or "To tell". The Japanese verb '語る (かたる)' has two main meanings. The primary meaning is 'to speak' or 'to talk'. It implies speaking in an eloquent or narrative way, rather than just casual conversation. The second meaning is 'to tell' or 'to recount', often referring to telling a story or recounting events. For example: She spoke eloquently about her experiences - (彼女は自身の経験について雄弁に語った). I will tell you a story - (私はあなたに物語を語ります).

外国語: "Foreign language". The Japanese noun '外国語 (がいこくご)' refers to a language that is not the native or primary language of a particular country or region. It is used to describe languages that are learned and spoken as a second or additional language. For example: I am studying a foreign language - (外国語を勉強しています). She speaks many foreign languages - (彼女は多くの外国語を話します).

英語: "English". The noun '英語 (えいご)' refers to the English language. It is the language originating from England and spoken as the primary language in many countries around the world. English is one of the most widely spoken languages globally and is used for communication in various domains such as business, education, media, and international relations. For example: She is fluent in English - (彼女は英語が流暢です). I love learning the English language - (私は英語を学ぶのが好きです).

言語: "Language". The Japanese noun '言語 (げんご)' means 'language'. This word refers to a system of communication composed of words, signs, and syntax used by a particular country, people, or community. It can be used to describe the native language of a person or group, as well as any other language a person may speak. For example: My native language is Japanese - (私の母語は日本語です). The official language of Japan is Japanese - (日本の公用語は日本語です).

物語: "Story". The Japanese noun '物語 (ものがたり)' means 'story'. This word refers to a narrative of events, either real or fictional, that has a beginning, middle, and end. 物語 can be used to describe books, films, legends, folktales, and other types of storytelling. For example: The book is an interesting story - (その本は興味深い物語だ). The stories passed down for generations - (何世代にもわたり伝えられた物語)

敬語: "Honorific". The Japanese noun '敬語 (けいご)' refers to a set of polite speech patterns and expressions used in Japanese to show respect, deference or humility. Keigo is used when speaking to or about people of higher status, older age, or those deserving of respect. It involves the use of humble, respectful, and honorific language. For example: She spoke using honorific language - (彼女は敬語を使って話した).

外来語: "Loanword". The Japanese noun '外来語 (がいらいご)' refers to words that have been borrowed from other languages, especially European languages like English, and incorporated into the Japanese language. These loanwords are commonly used in modern Japanese and have become an integral part of the language. For example: That word is a loanword - (あの言葉は外来語です). I use a lot of loanwords in my speech - (私の話にはたくさん外来語が出てきます).

語学: "Language". The Japanese noun '語学 (ごがく)' means 'language'. This noun refers to the study or learning of languages. It can be used to talk about the pursuit of acquiring linguistic skills or knowledge of multiple languages. For example: I'm studying languages - (私は語学を勉強しています). She is fluent in several languages - (彼女はいくつかの語学に堪能です).

共通語: "Common language". The Japanese noun '共通語 (きょうつうご)' refers to a 'common language' that is widely understood and used across a country or region. It is a standardized form of a language that is taught in schools and used in official contexts. This common language helps facilitate communication and mutual understanding between people from different linguistic backgrounds within a country. For example: Japanese is the common language in Japan - (日本では共通語は日本語です). All citizens must learn the common language - (すべての市民は共通語を学ばなければなりません).

用語: "Term". The Japanese noun '用語 (ようご)' means 'term'. It refers to a word or expression that is used within a specific field or context. Terms are often technical or specialized words that have a precise meaning within a particular discipline. For example: The legal term - (法律用語). Technical terms - (専門用語).

国語: "National language". The Japanese word '国語 (こくご)' refers to the official or national language of a country. In Japan, this term is used to specifically refer to the Japanese language. It is often used in educational contexts when discussing the Japanese language curriculum or subject. For example: Japanese is the national language of Japan - (日本の国語は日本語です). I study the national language at school - (私は国語を学校で勉強しています).

単語: "Word". The Japanese noun '単語 (たんご)' means 'word'. This noun refers to a single, distinct unit of language used to express a concept, communicate meaning, or serve as the basic components of sentences. It is a fundamental building block of language. For example: This book has many interesting words - (この本には興味深い単語がたくさんある). I need to learn more words - (もっと単語を学ばなければならない).

和語: "Japanese native word". The Japanese noun '和語 (わご)' refers to a Japanese native word, as opposed to loanwords from other languages like English or Chinese. These traditional Japanese words make up the core vocabulary of the Japanese language. They are typically written using kanji characters and have an innate Japanese pronunciation. For example: This is a typical Japanese native word - (これは典型的な和語です).

物語る: "Tell". The Japanese verb '物語る (ものがたる)' means 'to tell'. This verb is used to describe the act of narrating or recounting a story, tale or account. It implies sharing information or conveying a sequence of events in a narrative fashion. For example: I will tell you a story - (物語を物語ろう). The author told a fascinating tale - (作者は魅力的な物語を物語った).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "ご" is read as "go". The hiragana "か" is read as "ka". And The hiragana "た" is read as "ta".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.