日语
Rìyǔ
The Japanese language in Chinese is 日语 (Rìyǔ).
The term refers to the official language spoken in Japan.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 日语 is composed of 日 (sun/day, here referring to Japan/Japan's) and 语 (language).
Which one should you use?
While 日语 is the standard term for the language, 日本语 is also used, though 日语 is more common in mainland China. Additionally, 日文 is often used specifically when referring to the written form or Japanese literature/text.
How do you pronounce it?
Rìyǔ
Did you know?
- While the Japanese call their characters 'Kanji', Chinese speakers refer to them as 汉字 ('Han characters') because they consider the Japanese script to be a derivative of the ancient Chinese system.
- While 日语 is the standard term in China, people in Taiwan or Hong Kong may use the term 日文 or 日本語 more frequently to refer to the language.
- If you use the term 日文 in a conversation about studying, a person might assume you are focusing on reading kanji rather than practicing conversation.
Examples in context
- 玛丽对日语和日本历史感兴趣。Mary has an interest in Japanese language and history.This sentence is useful for expressing an interest in the 日语 language and Japanese history.Tatoeba #8934303 by iiujik, translation #3476819 by Hybrid
- 我正在学习日语。I am currently learning Japanese.
- 他很懂日本话。He understands Japanese language very well.
- 你会说日语吗？Nǐ huì shuō Rìyǔ ma?Can you speak Japanese?
- 我想学习日语。Wǒ xiǎng xuéxí Rìyǔ.I want to study Japanese.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend hobbies.
- 俊杰 Junjie佳怡，你在学什么？Jiāyí, nǐ zài xué shénme?Jiayi, what are you studying?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我在学日语。Wǒ zài xué Rìyǔ.I am studying Japanese.
- 俊杰 Junjie日语很难吗？Rìyǔ hěn nán ma?Is Japanese difficult?
- 佳怡 Jiayi有一点难，但是很有趣。Yǒu yīdiǎn nán, dànshì hěn yǒuqù.It's a bit difficult, but very interesting.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
