めいめい

め

い

め

い

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

each; individual; respectively

usually written using kana alone

Refers to each person or each item in a group, emphasizing individual action or state. Often used adverbially or with の.

めいめいが自じ分ぶんの意い見けんを述のべた。
Each person expressed their own opinion.

参さん加か者しゃはめいめいの席せきに着ついた。

The participants took their respective seats.

めいめいで支し払はらいをお願ねがいします。

Please pay individually.

Written forms

めいめいUsage78%
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 銘々 and 銘銘 exist but are less common.
銘めい々めいUsage21%
Kanji form using the repetition mark 々. Recognizable but less common than kana.
銘めい銘めいUsage1%
Full kanji repetition form. Rarely used in modern writing.

Kanji

銘inscription, signature (of artisan)

Similar words

各かく自じ
各自 is more formal and often used in instructions or rules, while めいめい is slightly more colloquial and personal.
それぞれ
それぞれ is a general word for 'each' or 'respectively' and can be used for both people and things. めいめい is more strongly associated with people and individual actions.

Etymology

Reduplication of 銘 (めい), meaning 'inscription' or 'name', giving a sense of 'each named one'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the reduplicated form emphasizes individuality.