Onyomi: ゲン, ゴン · Kunyomi: い.う, こと · Meanings: say, word
Kanji for say, word
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 言.
The kanji 言 depicts words or speech, with lines representing the flow of spoken language. In ancient times, it symbolized speaking, telling, or declaring something. 言 came to mean say, speak, or word, capturing communication, expression, and the act of conveying ideas.
Lines showing speech — 言 means say, speak, or word.
Imagine words flowing from your mouth — that’s 言, the kanji for speaking and expressing ideas.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 言 | げん | word, remark, statement | common Noun |
| 言葉 | ことば | language, dialect | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 辞典 | じてん | dictionary, lexicon | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 言語 | げんご | language | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 言う | いう | to say, to utter, to declare | common JLPT-N3 JLPT-N5 Godan verb with 'u' ending, Transitive verb |
| 言わば | いわば | so to speak, so to call it, as it were | common JLPT-N3 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 所謂 | いわゆる | what is called, what you call, what they call, so-called | common JLPT-N3 JLPT-N1 Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) |
| 言葉遣い | ことばづかい | speech, expression, wording, language | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 言い出す | いいだす | to begin to say, to start talking, to broach (a matter), to bring up, to come out with | common JLPT-N2 Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 言い訳 | いいわけ | excuse | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |