so-and-so, one, a certain, that person

About this kanji

The kanji 某 (ぼう) primarily means 'so-and-so' or 'a certain.' It is often used as a noun to refer to an unspecified person or thing. For example, 某国 (ぼうこく) means 'certain country,' 某氏 (ぼうし) means 'a certain person,' and 某所 (ぼうしょ) means 'certain place.' This kanji gives a sense of vagueness or generalization when discussing something or someone whose name is not specified. It’s commonly used in formal or literary contexts, allowing speakers to refer to unidentified people or concepts without giving specific names.

Example sentences

• 某国の文化は興味深い。

  The culture of a certain country is fascinating.

Meanings across languages

English

so-and-so, one, a certain, that person

Tiếng Việt

người nào đó, một, một người nào đó

日本語

某, 一人, あの人

한국어

누구누구, 한, 특정인

中文

某个, 某人, 某个特定

id

siapa-siapa, seseorang

th

ใครสักคน, บุคคลหนึ่ง

es

fulano, una cierta, esa persona

fr

untel, un certain, cette personne

de

so-und-so, ein bestimmter

pt

beltrano, uma certa, aquela pessoa

Common compounds

• 某国ぼうこくcertain country
• 某氏ぼうしa certain person, unnamed person, Mr. So-and-so
• 某所ぼうしょcertain place
• 某日ぼうじつcertain day
• 某々ぼうぼうso-and-so
• 某月ぼうげつa certain month
• 某誌ぼうしa certain publication
• 某省ぼうしょうa certain ministry, an unspecified ministry