語
word, speech, language
Readings
On'yomi
- ゴ
Kun'yomi
- かた.る
- かた.らう
Meaning
語 centers on spoken or written expression: words, speech, and language as a system of communication.
Most common words using 語
24 of 1,347- 英語えいごN5
English (language)
- 語ごN4
word; term
- 語るかたるN3
to talk about; to speak of; to tell; to narrate
- 日本語にほんごN5
Japanese (language)
- 物語ものがたりN3
story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
- 言語げんごN3
language
- 単語たんごN3
word; vocabulary
- 用語ようごN2
term; terminology
- フランス語フランスご
French (language)
- 国語こくごN3
national language
- 落語らくごN1
rakugo; traditional Japanese comic storytelling; comic story (told by a professional storyteller)
- 語彙ごいN1
vocabulary; lexicon; lexis; terminology
- 語学ごがくN3
study of foreign languages
- ラテン語ラテンご
Latin (language)
- 敬語けいごN2
honorific; term of respect; polite expression; honorific language
- 語源ごげんN1
origin of a word; derivation of a word; etymology
- 英単語えいたんご
English word
- 物語るものがたるN2
to tell (a story); to give an account of (an event, experience, etc.); to relate; to recount
- 造語ぞうご
coinage; invention of a new word
- 語句ごくN1
words and phrases; words
- 熟語じゅくごN2
kanji compound
- 主語しゅごN2
subject
- 死語しご
dead language; extinct language
- 隠語いんご
secret language; jargon; cant; argot; slang
Study
Etymology
語 combines 言 (speech, words) with 吾, which likely contributes the sound and may have originally represented a person speaking.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 言 means speech or words, and the right side 吾 looks like a mouth 口 over five 五, as if five mouths are talking. Together, 語 represents language and spoken words.
Reading mnemonic
For ゴ, imagine a person saying 'Go!' to start a conversation: 'Go' -> ゴ, and words begin to flow.