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源 (minamoto) Japanese meaning: source of a river | Kotomora
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The source of that river is deep in the mountains.
Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 の 源みなもと the source/origin of ~
The source of his motivation is his love for his family.
〜 に 源みなもと を 発はっ する to originate from ~
This festival originates from ancient religious rituals.
〈 事こと 〉 の 源みなもと をたどる to trace something back to its source
I traced the source of the problem to look for a solution.
Related words· 10 起源 is a formal, academic term for historical or biological origins, while 源 can be used in both literal and everyday figurative contexts.
根源 stresses the deepest, underlying root cause of a problem, while 源 is a broader word for any origin or starting point.
原因 means 'cause' and focuses on direct causality, whereas 源 emphasizes the deeper or original source.
出所 usually refers to where information, rumors, or funds come from, while 源 is used more broadly for the origin of things, feelings, or rivers.
Show 6 more 源 is a broader, more literary word for the origin of a river or anything else, while 水源 specifically names the spot where water begins to flow.
源 is a general word for 'source' or 'origin' in any context, while 供給源 is used specifically for the source of a supply of goods, energy, or information.
源 is the common, everyday word for 'source' or 'origin', while 源泉 is more formal and often used in technical, business, or natural-spring contexts.
Written forms 源みなもと Usage 98%
Standard kanji spelling for both literal and figurative senses.
みなもと Usage 2%
Etymology The kanji 源 combines 氵 (water) and 原 (origin), suggesting 'water's origin'. The reading みなもと is a native Japanese word, likely from 水 (mi, 'water') + な (possessive particle) + 元 (moto, 'origin').
生せい
源げん
N1
源 is a broad, often metaphorical term for 'source' or 'origin', whereas 発生源 is a technical term for the concrete point where something like a pollutant or sound originates.
源 is a native Japanese word for the source of something, often used poetically or literally (e.g. a river's source), whereas ルーツ is a loanword focused on cultural or personal ancestry.
源 is a poetic or literal 'source' (like a river's source), while 原点 is a more analytical, abstract starting point.
