Category: LanguagePart of speech: nounDifficulty: Intermediate

言語

/gengo/Roman

English meaning: Language

Japanese Definition

(日本語)

言語とは、人間のコミュニケーションを可能にする記号体系である。日本語は約1億2,500万人が使用し、平仮名(46字)・片仮名(46字)・漢字(常用約2,000字)という三種の文字体系を組み合わせて使う。この複雑な表記体系は日本固有の文化と外来文化の融合を反映している。

English Definition

A system of human communication. Japanese is spoken by 125 million people and uses three scripts: hiragana (phonetic, 46 characters), katakana (for foreign words, 46 characters), and kanji (Chinese-derived logographs, ~2,000 commonly used). This complex writing system reflects Japan's cultural synthesis of indigenous and imported traditions.

Example

日本語は平仮名・片仮名・漢字の三種の文字を使用します。

In English: Japanese uses three types of scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

Synonyms

  • 国語

Literary Heritage

あはれなることどもを書きおき侍りしかど、みな忘れにたること多かり

/Aware na koto domo wo kaki oki haberishi kado, mina wasure ni taru koto ōkari/

I wrote down many poignant things, but most of them I have already forgotten.

Murasaki Shikibu · Novelist and Lady-in-Waiting · 11th century CE

Genji Monogatari

Murasaki Shikibu Diary, 11th century CE

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Language information

Language
日本語
Japanese
Script
Kana+Han
Family
Japonic
Speakers
125M
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