What is the Kanji for "Say"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Say" is "言".

This kanji has 4 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "I" and "Koto".

Its onyomi readings are "Gen" and "Gon".

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 radical "亠" means "Lid" . And The kanji "二" means "Two" and can be read as "Futa" and "Ni".

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

What does the kanji "言" mean in japanese?

"言" means "Say".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

言う: "Say". The Japanese verb '言う (いう)' means 'to say'. This verb is used to express one's thoughts, opinions, or statements verbally. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as conversing with someone, making a declaration, or giving instructions. For example: I said hello - (私は「こんにちは」と言いました). She said she is hungry - (彼女は「おなかがすいた」と言いました).

言葉: "Word". The Japanese noun '言葉 (ことば)' refers to a word, or a unit of language. It can be used to describe a single term, a phrase, or even a complete sentence. '言葉' is a fundamental building block of the Japanese language and is used in a wide variety of contexts, from everyday conversation to formal writing. For example: The new word I learned is difficult - (新しい言葉は難しい). I don't understand that word - (その言葉がわかりません).

言い方: "Way of speaking". The noun '言い方 (いいかた)' refers to the manner, style, or approach in which one expresses themselves verbally. It describes the specific words, tone, and phrasing a person uses when communicating. For example: His way of speaking is very polite - (彼の言い方はとてもていねいです). She has a direct way of speaking - (彼女の言い方はすぐさま)

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).

発言: "Statement". The Japanese verbal noun '発言 (はつげん)' means 'statement'. It refers to an oral expression or a declaration made by someone. It can be used to describe formal announcements, comments, or opinions expressed in speech. For example: The politician made an important statement - (その政治家は重要な発言をした). She gave a statement to the press - (彼女は報道陣に発言した).

一言: "Word". The noun '一言 (ひとこと)' means 'word'. It refers to a single, brief statement or remark. This word is often used to describe a succinct expression of an idea or opinion. For example: I have a few words to say - (一言申し上げたいことがあります). A single word of advice - (一言アドバイスさせていただきます).

言わば: "So to speak". The adverb '言わば (いわば)' means 'so to speak'. It is used to indicate that the preceding statement is not entirely accurate or precise, but is intended to convey the general meaning. It is often used to qualify or soften a statement. For example: He is, so to speak, the boss of the company - (彼は、言わば会社の社長である). The food was, so to speak, barely edible - (その料理は、言わば食べられるようなものだった).

言い出す: "Say" or "Start to say". The Japanese verb '言い出す (いいだす)' means 'to say' or 'to start to say'. It is a compound verb that combines the verb '言う (いう)' (to speak, to say) with the auxiliary verb '出す (だす)' (to start, to bring out). When used, it indicates that the subject has started to express something verbally. For example: I started to say something - (何か言い出した). He suddenly started to talk - (急に話し始めた).

宣言: "Declaration". The noun '宣言 (せんげん)' means 'declaration'. It refers to a formal or official announcement or expression of intentions, opinions, or plans. It can be used to describe an announcement of new laws, policies, or decisions. For example: The president made a declaration on the new policy - (大統領は新しい政策について宣言した). The company issued a declaration regarding the takeover - (その企業は買収に関する宣言を出した).

言い返す: "Retort" or "Answer back". The Japanese verb '言い返す (いいかえす)' means 'to retort' or 'to answer back'. This verb is used to express the action of responding to someone in a direct or argumentative way, often in disagreement with what they have said. It conveys a sense of challenging or refuting the other person's statement. For example: I retorted that I had already done that - (私は既にそれをやったと言い返した). She answered back angrily - (彼女は腹を立てて言い返した).

言い表わす: "Express". The verb '言い表わす (いいあらわす)' means 'to express'. This verb is used to indicate the act of conveying or communicating an idea, thought, or feeling in words. It implies clearly articulating or putting into words something that may be abstract or difficult to convey. For example: I can't express how grateful I am - (私の感謝の気持ちを言い表わすことができません). The poem expresses the author's emotions - (その詩は作者の感情を言い表わしている).

言論: "Speech". The Japanese noun '言論 (げんろん)' means 'speech'. This word refers to the expression of opinions or ideas through spoken or written language. It can be used to describe formal public discourse, such as a speech or debate, as well as informal conversations. For example: Freedom of speech - (言論の自由). The importance of free speech - (言論の自由の重要性).

言い訳: "Excuse". The Japanese verbal noun '言い訳 (いいわけ)' means 'excuse'. It refers to an explanation or justification given to avoid blame or responsibility for an action or situation. It often implies that the person is trying to avoid admitting fault or error. For example: That's just an excuse - (それは単なる言い訳だ). I don't accept your excuse - (あなたの言い訳は受け入れられません).

言付ける: "Order" or "Instruct". The Japanese verb '言付ける (ことづける)' means 'to order' or 'to instruct'. This verb is used to convey the act of giving an order or instructing someone to do something. It implies a sense of authority or hierarchy where the speaker is in a position to direct the actions of the listener. For example: I ordered him to clean the room - (彼に部屋を掃除するよう言付けた). The teacher instructed the students to finish their assignments - (先生は生徒たちに課題を終わらせるよう言付けた).

証言: "Testimony". The Japanese noun '証言 (しょうげん)' means 'testimony'. This word refers to a formal statement given under oath or affirmation, typically by a witness in a legal proceeding. It is used to provide evidence or information about a particular event or circumstance. For example: The witness gave compelling testimony - (証人は説得力のある証言をした). The lawyer questioned the witness's testimony - (弁護士は証人の証言を尋問した).

遺言: "Will". The Japanese noun '遺言 (ゆいごん)' means 'will'. It refers to a legal document that specifies a person's wishes about the disposal of their property after their death. It is an important legal instrument that allows the deceased to have control over the distribution of their assets. For example: She left a detailed will - (彼女は詳細な遺言を残した). The executor will read the will - (執行人が遺言を読み上げるだろう).

言葉遣い: "Language use" or "Choice of words". The Japanese word '言葉遣い (ことばづかい)' refers to the way one uses language, the choice of words employed, and the style of speaking or writing. It encompasses the nuances, formality, and appropriateness of the language used in a given context. For example: She has good language use - (彼女の言葉遣いは上手だ). His word choice was inappropriate - (彼の言葉遣いは適切ではなかった).

書き言葉: "Written language". The noun '書き言葉 (かきことば)' refers to written language, or the form of language used in written texts. This is in contrast to 話し言葉 (はなしことば), which refers to spoken language. 書き言葉 is used in formal and academic contexts, like books, newspapers and essays, and tends to have a more complex and technical vocabulary compared to 話し言葉. For example: He prefers to express himself in written language - (彼は書き言葉で自分を表現するのを好む).

方言: "Dialect". The Japanese noun '方言 (ほうげん)' refers to a form of a language that is specific to a particular region, socioeconomic class, or other social group. Dialects often have their own unique vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation that differ from the standard form of the language. For example: The Kansai dialect is quite different from the Tokyo dialect - (関西弁はとうきょうだいissフはかなり違う). The local dialect in this area is very strong - (この地域の方言はとても強い).

言い替える: "Rephrase" or "Reword". The Japanese verb '言い替える (いいかえる)' means 'to rephrase' or 'to reword'. It is used when rewording or rephrasing something that was previously stated, often to clarify or express the same idea in a different way. For example: Please rephrase your question - (質問を言い替えてください). I need to rephrase my argument - (論点を言い替える必要がある).

無言: "Silence". The Japanese word '無言 (むごん)' refers to the state of being silent or not speaking. It suggests a lack of verbal communication and can imply thoughtfulness, reverence, or even awkwardness. For example: The meeting ended in silence - (会議は無言で終わった). They sat in silence - (彼らは無言で座っていた).

予言: "Prophecy". The Japanese verbal noun '予言 (よげん)' means 'prophecy'. This word refers to a prediction or a statement about a future event that is often made by someone with spiritual or supernatural insight. '予言' implies a prophetic or mystical source of the prediction. For example: The oracle made a prophecy about the future - (オラクルは未来のことを予言した). The prophecy came true in the end - (その予言は最後に成り立った).

言: "Word". The noun '言 (げん)' means 'word'. This noun refers to a single unit of spoken or written language. It can be used to describe a specific word or a general concept of language. For example: My favorite word is 'hello' - (私の好きな言葉は'こんにちは'です). Words are powerful - (言葉は力があります).

言及: "Reference". The noun '言及 (げんきゅう)' means 'reference'. It refers to an explicit mention or discussion of a topic or issue. For example: The report made a brief reference to the company's financial troubles - (その報告書では同社の財務上の問題に言及した). The speaker didn't make any direct reference to the scandal - (スピーカーはスキャンダルについて直接言及しなかった).

独り言: "Monologue". The Japanese noun '独り言 (ひとりごと)' means 'monologue'. This word refers to a speech or verbal expression that is spoken aloud by a person when they are alone, with no intention of addressing another person. Monologues are often used in literature and drama to reveal a character's inner thoughts and feelings. For example: She was muttering a monologue to herself - (彼女は独り言をつぶやいていた).

話し言葉: "Spoken language". The Japanese noun '話し言葉 (はなしことば)' refers to spoken language, as opposed to written language. It describes the verbal form of communication, including conversational speech, dialogues, and informal expressions. Spoken language is often more casual, contextual, and spontaneous compared to formal written language. For example: Spoken language is easier to understand than written language - (話し言葉は書き言葉より分かりやすい)

伝言: "Message". The Japanese verbal noun '伝言 (でんごん)' means 'message'. It refers to a communication, usually written or recorded, that is passed from one person to another. Leaving a message for someone - (誰かに伝言を残す). The telephone message - (電話の伝言)

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 "げ" is read as "ge". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". The hiragana "ご" is read as "go". The hiragana "こ" is read as "ko". And The hiragana "と" is read as "to".

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.