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原作 (げんさく, gensaku) Japanese meaning: original work | Kotomora

原げん作さく

げ

ん

さ

く

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

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

original work; source material

Refers to the original novel, manga, script, etc. that an adaptation is based on. Commonly used in contexts like film, anime, or drama adaptations.

この映えい画がは人にん気き漫まん画がが原げん作さくです。

This movie is based on a popular manga.

原げん作さくを読よんでからドラマを見みると、より楽たのしめます。

You can enjoy the drama more if you read the original work first.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を原げん作さくとするto be based on ~ as the original work
このドラマは人にん気き小しょう説せつを原げん作さくとしている。
This drama is based on a popular novel.
原げん作さくに忠ちゅう実じつだto be faithful to the original work
この映えい画がは原げん作さくに忠ちゅう実じつに作つくられている。
This movie was made faithfully to the original work.
原げん作さくを読よむto read the original work (before/after seeing the adaptation)
アニメを見みてから原げん作さくを読よんだ。
I read the original manga after watching the anime.
原げん作さくと違ちがうto differ from the original work
映えい画がの結けつ末まつは原げん作さくと違ちがっていた。
The film's ending was different from the original work.

Kanji

原meadow, original, primitive
作make, production, prepare

Related words

原げん著ちょ
原作 is the general term for a novel, manga, or script that gets adapted (e.g. into a film), while 原著 specifically refers to the original written text, often in literary or academic contexts.
原げん案あん
原作 refers to a completed creative work used as adaptation source material, whereas 原案 is just the original idea or draft proposal, not a finished piece.
原げん典てんN1
原作 names the original work that a film, manga, or adaptation is based on, whereas 原典 refers to the original text itself as a reference source.
原げん書しょN1
原書 is about the physical or linguistic form of the book itself, while 原作 refers to the original creative work that a film, drama, or other adaptation is based on.
原げん本ぽん
原作 is the original work a film, drama, or manga is adapted from, while 原本 is more focused on an original physical document or manuscript.

Don't confuse with

原げん画が
原画 is the original artwork or drawing itself, whereas 原作 is the original story or work (e.g., a novel) that a later adaptation is based on.

Word family

原げん作さく者しゃ
original author

Etymology

Compound of 原 (original) and 作 (work, production).