孫悟空
son gokū
In Japanese, Sun Wukong is written as 孫悟空 (son gokū).
孫悟空 is the name of the Monkey King, a legendary figure from the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
What does it mean word for word?
The name is written using the same kanji characters as the original Chinese name, but read with Japanese pronunciations.
How do you pronounce it?
son gokū
Did you know?
- The name 孫悟空 served as the direct inspiration for the protagonist of the global hit series 'Dragon Ball'. The character Goku is a modern reimagining of the Monkey King, complete with a power pole and a flying cloud.
- The name 悟空 literally means 'aware of emptiness' or 'awakened to void'. This reflects the Zen Buddhist concept of 'sunyata', where the realization of emptiness is the key to liberation.
- In Japan, the character is so iconic that 孫悟空 is often used as a generic shorthand for any mischievous or uncontrollable monkey character in folklore and media.
Examples in context
- あのね、最近のアニメで孫悟空（Son Gokū）みたいなキャラがいるんだけど、知ってる？Anone, saikin no anime de Son Gokū mitai na kyara ga irun dakedo, shitteru?
- 孫悟空はとても強いです。Son Goku wa totemo tsuyoi desu.Sun Wukong is very strong.
- 物語の中で孫悟空が登場します。Monogatari no naka de Son Goku ga toujou shimasu.Sun Wukong appears in the story.
- 孫悟空のファンです。Son Goku no fan desu.I am a fan of Sun Wukong.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about their favorite characters.
- 美咲 Misaki健太は誰が一番好き？Kenta wa dare ga ichiban suki?Who do you like the most, Kenta?
- 健太 Kenta僕はやっぱり孫悟空が好きだよ。Boku wa yappari Son Gōkū ga suki dayo.I still like Sun Wukong the best.
- 美咲 Misakiあのお猿さんは面白いよね。Ano osaru-san wa omoshiroi yo ne.That monkey is funny, isn't he?
- 健太 Kentaうん、本当にすごいキャラクターだね。Un, hontō ni sugoi kyarakutā da ne.Yeah, he's really an amazing character.
