懇こん々こん

こ

ん

こ

ん

Meanings

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

Describes a manner of speaking or explaining that is heartfelt, thorough, and patient. Often used with verbs like 諭す, 説く, or 語る. The word is a たる adjective/adverb taking と, so it typically appears as 懇々と.

先せん生せいは生せい徒とに懇こん々こんと諭さとした。
The teacher earnestly admonished the student.
彼かれは自じ分ぶんの過あやまちを懇こん々こんと語かたった。
He spoke sincerely about his mistakes.

Kanji

懇sociable, kind, courteous
悃sincerity

Related words

懇ねんごろ
懇ろ means 'courteous' or 'intimate', focusing on warmth and closeness, while 懇々 emphasizes earnestness and sincerity in speech.
切せつ々せつ
切々 means 'earnestly' or 'passionately', often with a sense of urgency or deep emotion, while 懇々 is more about patient, kind, and thorough explanation.

Written forms

懇こん々こんUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling using the repetition mark 々.
懇こん懇こん
Full kanji spelling without the repetition mark; less common but still encountered.
悃こん々こん
Alternate kanji form using 悃; rare and literary.
悃こん悃こん
Full kanji form of the alternate spelling; very rare.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 懇 means 'earnest' or 'kind', and the reduplicated form 懇々 intensifies that meaning. The alternate kanji 悃 also means 'sincere' or 'earnest'.