happenstance, especially, intentionally, reason

About this kanji

The kanji 故 (こ) primarily means 'cause' or 'reason,' and it is commonly used in nouns. You can find it in words like 故障 (こしょう), which means 'fault' or 'breakdown,' and 故人 (こじん), referring to 'the deceased.' Another common compound is 事故 (じこ), meaning 'accident.' This kanji also connects to the idea of a hometown with 故郷 (ふるさと). A useful note is that 故 can imply something of an intentional or historical nature, adding depth to its meaning in various contexts.

Example sentences

• 故郷に戻りたい。

  I want to return to my hometown.

Meanings across languages

English

happenstance, especially, intentionally, reason, cause, circumstances, the late, therefore, consequently

Tiếng Việt

ngẫu nhiên, đặc biệt, cố ý, lý do, nguyên nhân, hoàn cảnh, người đã khuất, do đó, theo đó

日本語

こ, と, ていこ, りゆう, あなたがこいた, あんたがこわした

한국어

우연히, 특히, 고의로, 이유, 원인, 상황, 고故사람, 따라서

中文

故障, 尤其, 故意, 理由, 原因, 情况, 已故, 因此, 结果

id

ketidakpastian, sebab

th

ความบังเอิญ, เหตุผล

es

casualidad, razón

fr

circonstances, raisons

de

Zufall, Ursache

pt

acontecimento, razão

Common compounds

• 故障こしょうfault, trouble, breakdown
• 故人こじんthe deceased, the departed, old friend
• 事故じこaccident, incident, trouble
• 故郷ふるさとhometown, birthplace, native place
• 交通事故こうつうじこtraffic accident
• 故にゆえにtherefore, consequently
• 故意こいintent, intention, bad faith
• 故国ここくone's native land