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Kotomora

也

to be (classical)

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes3

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヤ
  • エ

Kun'yomi

  • なり
  • か
  • また

Nanori

  • し

Meaning

也 is a classical grammatical character that functions as a copula, meaning "to be" or "is," often used at the end of sentences in classical Chinese and Japanese texts.

Most common words using 也

  • 也なり

    to be

  • 空也餅くうやもち

    chunky mochi made with half-polished rice, stuffed with red bean paste

Explore all words using 也 →

Study

Etymology

也 is an ancient character whose original pictographic meaning is uncertain. It was borrowed early as a grammatical particle meaning "to be" or marking a pause, and its modern form is a stylized simplification of an older shape.

Meaning mnemonic

The simple, balanced strokes of 也 look like a classical seal or stamp, marking a statement as definitive: "it is."

Reading mnemonic

For ヤ, imagine a classical scholar nodding and saying "yah" (like a casual "yes") to confirm a statement: yah -> ヤ, and 也 means "it is."