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JLPT N47画 · 7 strokesradical 言grade 2freq #94

word, say, talk

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ゲン
  • ゴン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • い.う
  • こと

Mnemonic

A giant mouth is saying words, representing the kanji for talking and expressing thoughts with the radical for speech.

About this kanji

The kanji 言 represents the ideas of 'word,' 'to say,' and 'to talk.' It is often used as a verb, as in 言う (い.う), which means 'to say.' Additionally, it appears in the noun 言葉 (ことば), meaning 'word' or 'language,' and in 言い訳 (いいわけ), which translates to 'excuse.' Another common compound is 発言 (はつげん), meaning 'statement.' When using this kanji, remember that it revolves around communication, expressing thoughts, and sharing information. Its versatility makes it essential for daily conversation.

Example sentences

  • 何と言いましたか?

    What did you say?

Meanings across languages

English
word, say, talk
Tiếng Việt
từ, nói, đàm thoại
日本語
言葉, 言う
한국어
단어, 말하다
中文
词, 说
id
kata, berkata, bicara
th
คำ, พูด
es
palabra, decir, hablar
fr
mot, dire, parler
de
wort, sagen, reden
pt
palavra, dizer, falar

Common compounds

  • 言うい.うto say, to tell
  • 言葉ことばword, language
  • 言い訳いいわけexcuse, explanation
  • 発言はつげんstatement, utterance

Want to actually learn this kanji?

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