日本語
nihongokanji, language
In kanji, "Japanese" the language is 日本語 (nihongo), and a Japanese person is 日本人 (nihonjin). Both are built on 日本 (Nihon), "Japan".
Meaning: Japanese language or person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 日本語 | nihongo | kanji, language |
| 日本人 | nihonjin | kanji, person |
| 日本 | Nihon | kanji, Japan |
The last character changes the meaning: 語 (go) means "language" and 人 (jin) means "person".
How does it change in a sentence?
Other languages follow the same pattern, such as 英語 (eigo) for English and 中国語 (chūgokugo) for Chinese.
Did you know?
- The name 日本 can be read both にほん (Nihon) and にっぽん (Nippon).
Examples in context
- 私は日本語を勉強しています。Watashi wa nihongo o benkyō shite imasu.I am studying Japanese.
- 彼は日本人です。Kare wa nihonjin desu.He is Japanese.
Example conversation
Anna tells her classmate Taro what she studies.
- Taro何を勉強していますか？Nani o benkyō shite imasu ka?What are you studying?
- Anna日本語です。Nihongo desu.Japanese.
- Taroすごいですね。Sugoi desu ne.Impressive.
