What is the Kanji for "Theory" and "Explanation"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Theory" and "Explanation" is "説".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "To".

Its onyomi readings are "Setsu" and "Zei".

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 2 parts:

The radical "訁" means "Say" . And The component "兑" .

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

What does the kanji "説" mean in japanese?

"説" means "Theory" and "Explanation".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Fourth Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

小説: "Novel". The Japanese noun '小説 (しょうせつ)' refers to a book-length work of fiction. Novels are a popular form of literary fiction in Japan and cover a wide range of genres and styles. They can tell imaginative stories, explore complex themes, or depict the everyday lives of characters. For example: She is reading a novel - (彼女は小説を読んでいる). I enjoy reading historical novels - (私は歴史小説を読むのが好きです).

説: "Explanation". The noun '説 (せつ)' means 'explanation'. It refers to a detailed description or account of a subject, event, or concept. This word is commonly used in formal or academic contexts to present arguments, theories, or ideas. For example: His explanation was very clear - (彼の説明はとてもはっきりしていた). The new economic theory proposes an explanation for the recent market changes - (新しい経済理論は最近の市場変化を説明している).

説明: "Explanation". The Japanese verbal noun '説明 (せつめい)' means 'explanation'. This word is used to refer to the act of explaining, clarifying, or describing something in detail. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as giving a presentation, teaching a concept, or providing instructions. For example: The teacher gave a detailed explanation of the lesson - (先生はその授業の説明をくわしくした). I need an explanation for how this works - (これがどのように機能するのか説明が必要です).

説く: "Explain". The Japanese verb '説く (とく)' means 'to explain'. It is used to describe the act of providing an explanation, clarifying a concept or expressing one's views on a particular topic. This verb often implies a formal or authoritative explanation, rather than a casual description. For example: The teacher explained the lesson - (先生は授業を説いた). He explained his opinion on the matter - (彼はその件について自分の意見を説いた).

解説: "Explanation". The verbal noun '解説 (かいせつ)' means 'explanation'. It refers to the act of explaining or providing detailed information about a topic or concept. This term is often used in academic and professional settings when presenting or discussing complex ideas. For example: The professor gave a detailed explanation of the topic - (教授は、その話題について詳しい解説をした). The speaker provided a clear explanation of the new policy - (スピーカーは、その新しい方針について明確な解説を行った).

社説: "Editorial". The Japanese noun '社説 (しゃせつ)' means 'editorial'. An editorial is an article in a newspaper or magazine that gives the publication's own opinion on an issue. It is typically written by the editor or editorial board to present the publication's stance on a particular topic. Editorials often discuss current events and aim to persuade readers to a certain viewpoint. For example: The newspaper's editorial supported the new policy - (新しい政策について、新聞社の社説は支持した). The editorial criticized the government's handling of the crisis - (危機への対応について、政府を批判する社説が書かれた).

学説: "Theory". The Japanese noun '学説 (がくせつ)' means 'theory'. It refers to a system of ideas that explain or account for a particular aspect of reality. A '学説' is the result of academic research and investigation, and it is often used in the context of science, philosophy, or social studies. For example: The scientist presented a new theory - (科学者は新しい学説を発表した). The theory of evolution - (進化の学説)

説得: "Persuasion". The verbal noun '説得 (せっとく)' means 'persuasion'. It refers to the act of convincing someone to believe something or do something through reasoning, argument or inducement. It can be used in a positive sense, to describe the skill of persuading others effectively, or in a negative sense, to describe attempts to manipulate or coerce someone. For example: She tried to persuade me to change my mind - (彼女は私の考えを変えるよう説得しました). The politician's persuasion techniques were quite effective - (その政治家の説得力は非常に強かった).

演説: "Speech". The Japanese verbal noun '演説 (えんぜつ)' means 'speech'. It refers to a formal talk or address given to an audience, usually to express an opinion or persuade people. It is commonly used in the context of political speeches, lectures, debates, or other public addresses. Examples: The politician gave an inspirational speech - (政治家は感動的な演説をした). She delivered a speech at the conference - (彼女は会議で演説をした).

伝説: "Legend". The Japanese noun '伝説 (でんせつ)' refers to a traditional story or myth that has been passed down over generations, often describing extraordinary or supernatural events or people. It is used to describe folk tales, mythological stories, or historical narratives that have achieved legendary status. For example: The legend of the samurai warrior - (勇士の伝説). The legend of the dragon - (ドラゴンの伝説).

仮説: "Hypothesis". The noun '仮説 (かせつ)' refers to a tentative explanation or assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences. It is an idea or proposal that is put forward as a starting point for further investigation and testing. For example: The scientist proposed a new hypothesis to explain the phenomenon - (科学者は、その現象を説明するための新しい仮説を提案した). The hypothesis is still under investigation - (その仮説はまだ調査中である).

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 "せ" is read as "se". The hiragana "つ" is read as "tsu". The hiragana "ぜ" is read as "ze". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". 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.