Onyomi: ゴ · Kunyomi: かた.らう, かた.る · Meanings: language, speech, word
Kanji for language, speech, word
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The kanji 語 combines 言 (speech or words) on the left with 五 (five) and 口 (mouth) on the right. In ancient writing, it suggested the idea of many mouths speaking — several people using words together. Words, when shared, form language and understanding. So 語 came to mean “to talk,” “word,” or “language,” expressing communication between people.
語 joins 言 (speech) with elements meaning “many mouths.” It paints the picture of people talking and sharing words — the essence of language and communication.
This kanji declares: words (言) come from many mouths (五 + 口) — 語 means language, the power of people speaking and understanding one another.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 語 | ご | word, term | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Noun, used as a suffix, Counter |
| 語り | かたり | talk, recital | common Noun |
| 語源 | ごげん | origin of a word, derivation of a word, etymology | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 語彙 | ごい | vocabulary, lexicon, lexis, terminology | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 語る | かたる | to talk about, to speak of, to tell, to narrate | common JLPT-N3 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Transitive verb |
| 語学 | ごがく | study of foreign languages | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 語句 | ごく | words and phrases, words | JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 語らう | かたらう | to talk, to tell, to recite, to pledge, to conspire with | common Godan verb with 'u' ending, Transitive verb |
| 語気 | ごき | tone, manner of speaking | common Noun |
| 語り口 | かたりくち | way of reciting, way of telling a story | common Noun |