言げん動どう

げ

ん

ど

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

words and actions; speech and conduct

Refers to what someone says and does, often as a combined reflection of their character or attitude. Common in formal or evaluative contexts.

彼かれの言げん動どうには一いっ貫かん性せいがない。
His words and actions are inconsistent.
政せい治じ家かの言げん動どうが注ちゅう目もくされている。
The politician's speech and conduct are under scrutiny.

See all 47 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

言げん動どうに気きをつけるto be careful about one's words and actions
公こうの場ばでは言げん動どうに気きをつけたほうがいい。
You should be careful about your words and actions in public.
言げん動どうを慎つつしむto be discreet in one's words and conduct
彼かれは上じょう司しの前まえでは言げん動どうを慎つつしんでいる。
He is careful about his words and conduct in front of his boss.
言げん動どうが一いっ致ちするfor one's words and actions to be consistent
彼かの女じょは言げん動どうが一いっ致ちしていて信しん頼らいできる。
Her words and actions are consistent, so she can be trusted.
〈人ひと〉の言げん動どうが問もん題だいになるfor someone's words and conduct to become a problem
その政せい治じ家かの言げん動どうが問もん題だいになっている。
That politician's words and conduct have become an issue.

Kanji

言say, word
動move, motion, change

Related words

言げん行こう
言行 and 言動 both mean 'words and deeds', but 言動 is the more common modern term and often stresses observable behavior, while 言行 sounds more formal or literary.
振ふる舞まい
振る舞い focuses on a person's manner or conduct in a given situation, whereas 言動 specifically combines both what they say and what they do.
態たい度どN3
態度 refers to a person's attitude or demeanor, while 言動 is broader, covering the concrete words and actions that reveal that attitude.

Don't confuse with

行こう動どうN3
行動 shares the kanji 動 with 言動 and means only 'action/behavior', while 言動 additionally includes a person's speech, so the two are easy to confuse but not interchangeable.

Word family

挙きょ措そ言げん動どう
speech and behavior; words and deeds

Etymology

Compound of 言 (gen, 'word, speech') and 動 (dō, 'movement, action'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning 'words and actions'.