同義語
dōgigo[do̞ːɡʲiɡo̞]
The English phrase "synonym" can be translated into Japanese as 同義語 (dōgigo). Wiktionary also lists 類義語 (ruigigo).
Meaning: word with same meaning as another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 同義語 | dōgigo | [do̞ːɡʲiɡo̞] (narrow) |
| 類義語 | ruigigo | [ɾɯ̟iɡʲiɡo̞] (narrow) |
The term refers to a word that has the same meaning as another. While 同義語 is used for exact synonyms, 類義語 is a frequent term used in practical contexts such as dictionary searches or language learning to describe words that are close in meaning.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 同義語 is composed of 同 (same), 義 (meaning) and 語 (word). The word 類義語 is composed of 類 (type/kind), 義 (meaning) and 語 (word).
Which one should you use?
While 同義語 implies words with the exact same meaning, 類義語 is more commonly used to refer to words with similar, but not necessarily identical, meanings.
How do you pronounce it?
dōgigo
Did you know?
- Japanese has a distinct category of synonyms called 和語 (native Japanese words) and 漢語 (words of Chinese origin). Often, a native word and a Chinese-derived word are synonyms but are used in completely different levels of formality.
- The character 義 in both terms refers to 'meaning' or 'justice/righteousness'. This single character carries a weight of 'true sense' or 'substance' in Japanese-derived vocabulary.
- In Japanese dictionaries, you will often see 類義語 listed as a category, but rarely 同義語. This is because true synonyms that are 100% interchangeable in every social context are extremely rare in Japanese.
Examples in context
- 「類義語」という意味の言葉は他にありますか？Is there another word for synonym?This sentence is useful for asking if there is another word for the term 類義語.Tatoeba #2494059 by tommy_san, translation #901515 by Spamster
- この言葉と似た意味の言葉はありますか？Are there any words with a similar meaning to this word?
- この単語の同義語を教えてください。Kono tango no dougogo o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me a synonym for this word.
- 同義語を使うと、文章の表現が豊かになります。Dougogo o tsukau to, bunshou no hyougen ga yutaka ni narimasu.Using synonyms makes the expression in your writing richer.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are studying English vocabulary together.
- 美咲 Misaki「big」の同義語は何ですか？"big" no dougogo wa nan desu ka?What is a synonym for "big"?
- 陽太 Yota「large」や「huge」などが使えますよ。"large" ya "huge" nado ga tsukaemasu yo.You can use "large" or "huge" and so on.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太くん、教えてくれてありがとう。Youta-kun, oshiete kurete arigatou.Thank you for telling me, Yota.
- 陽太 Yotaどういたしまして。一緒に頑張りましょう。Douitashimashite. Issho ni ganbarimashou.You're welcome. Let's do our best together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “synonym” translations and entries 同義語, 類義語, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
