こだま

こ

だ

ま

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a sound echoing, especially in mountains or large spaces. Can be used as a noun or as a suru-verb (こだまする).

彼かれの声こえがホールにこだました。

His voice echoed through the hall.

2

noun

tree spirit; spirit of a tree

In Japanese folklore, a spirit believed to dwell in trees; also used poetically for echoes, as echoes were thought to be the voices of tree spirits.

こだまUsage79%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare or literary.
谺こだまUsage13%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; specifically associated with echo.
木こ霊だまUsage7%
Rare kanji form; can refer to both echo and tree spirit.
木こ魂だまUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; literally 'tree soul'.

反はん響きょう
反響 is a more technical or formal term for echo or reverberation, often used in scientific contexts, while こだま is more poetic and everyday.
山やま彦びこ
山彦 also means echo, specifically in mountains, and can refer to a mountain spirit. こだま is more general and commonly used.

Originally referred to a tree spirit (木の霊). The echo meaning likely arose from the folk belief that echoes were the voices of these spirits.

soul, spirit