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Kanji Information Sheet for 言 ( PDF version )
Bushu (Radical) Info: 言 (ことば) – say
Henshall Mnemonic: mouth speaks three and a bit words
Levels: JLPT N4 | JLPT 4 (old) | Grade 2
Frequency: #83 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers
Frequency: #83 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers
Common Words and/or Phrases Using this Kanji:
Click any individual kanji to view a similar information sheet for it.Click [K] to look up the word's individual character(s) at WWWJDIC.
Click [D] to look up the word at WWWJDIC (definition is the same but other useful features exist).
Click [Jisho] to look up the word at Jisho.org.
JLPT N5 Words
JLPT N3 Words
- 一言 [ひとこと]
(n) single word [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言う [ゆう]
(v5u) to say [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言わば [いわば]
(adv) so to speak; so to call it; as it were [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言語 [げんご]
(n) language [K] [D] [Jisho] - 伝言 [でんごん]
(n,vs) verbal message; rumor; word [K] [D] [Jisho]
JLPT N2 Words
- 言い出す [いいだす]
(v5s) to start talking; to speak; to tell; to propose; to suggest; to break the ice [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い付ける [いいつける]
(v1) to tell; to tell on (someone); to order; to charge; to direct [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言付ける [ことづける]
(v1) to send word; to send a message [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言葉遣い [ことばづかい]
(n) speech; expression; wording [K] [D] [Jisho] - 独り言 [ひとりごと]
(n) a soliloquy; a monologue; speaking to oneself [K] [D] [Jisho] - 方言 [ほうげん]
(n) dialect [K] [D] [Jisho]
JLPT N1 Words
- 助言 [じょげん]
(n) advice; suggestion [K] [D] [Jisho] - 宣言 [せんげん]
(n,vs) declaration; proclamation; announcement [K] [D] [Jisho] - 発言 [はつげん]
(n) utterance; speech; proposal [K] [D] [Jisho] - 断言 [だんげん]
(n,vs) assertion; declaration; affirmation [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い訳 [いいわけ]
(n,vs) (1) excuse; (2) explanation [K] [D] [Jisho] - 予言 [よげん]
(n) prediction; promise; prognostication [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言論 [げんろん]
(n) discussion [K] [D] [Jisho] - 証言 [しょうげん]
(n,vs) evidence; testimony [K] [D] [Jisho] - 無言 [むごん]
(n) silence [K] [D] [Jisho]
Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT
- 苦言 [くげん]
(n) candid (frank) advice; exhortation [K] [D] [Jisho] - 公言 [こうげん]
(n) declaration; profession [K] [D] [Jisho] - 一言 [いちごん]
(n) single word [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い切る [いいきる]
(v5r) to declare; to assert; to state definitively [K] [D] [Jisho] - 遺言 [ゆいごん]
(n) will; testament; last request [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い渡し [いいわたし]
(n) sentence; judgment; pronouncement; order; command [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い渡す [いいわたす]
(v5s) to announce; to tell; to sentence; to order [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い表す [いいあらわす]
(v5s) to express [K] [D] [Jisho] - 提言 [ていげん]
(n) proposal; motion [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い表わす [いいあらわす]
(v5s) to express [K] [D] [Jisho] - 発言権 [はつげんけん]
(n) right to speak [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い分 [いいぶん]
(n) one's say; one's point; complaint; excuse [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い返す [いいかえす]
(v5s) to repeat; to talk back; to answer back [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言い方 [いいかた]
(n) speaking style [K] [D] [Jisho] - 寝言 [ねごと]
(n) talking in sleep; nonsense [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言うまでもない [いうまでもない]
(adj,exp) it goes without saying; there is no need to say so, but of course; it is needless to say; it need scarcely be said [K] [D] [Jisho] - 書き言葉 [かきことば]
(n) the written word; the written language [K] [D] [Jisho] - 明言 [めいげん]
(n) declaration; statement [K] [D] [Jisho] - 狂言 [きょうげん]
(n) play; drama; make-believe [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言及 [げんきゅう]
(n,vs) reference [K] [D] [Jisho] - 物言い [ものいい]
(n) manner of speaking; objection; way of speaking; rumor; quarrel; protest [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言質 [げんしつ]
(n) commitment; pledge or promise [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言動 [げんどう]
(n) speech and conduct [K] [D] [Jisho] - 言明 [げんめい]
(n) declaration; statement; assertion [K] [D] [Jisho] - 合言葉 [あいことば]
(n) password; watchword [K] [D] [Jisho]
Acknowledgments
The sofware used to generate this kanji information uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University and are used in conformance with the Group's license.NOTE: I converted the sources just mentioned years ago and have never really updated so there may be some missing or incorrect information that has been addressed in the original sources but not here.
The first Stroke Order image used on this page is courtesy of Ulrich Apel's excellent open source KanjiVG project. The second image is from the folks at the excellent Jisho Japanese-English dictionary site and it too is based on KanjiVG.
Classifying the kanji and popular vocabulary by the new JLPT levels was done by consulting Jonathan Waller‘s JLPT Resources page, renshuu, Wictionary, and Nihongo Ichiban.
The Henshall Mnemonics are the copyright of Tuttle Publishing and are the result of the hard work by Professor Henshall. See the list I used here.
If you are curious about the lexicography shown in the word definitions, visit the WWWJDIC abbreviations and codes guide and the JMdict/Edict Lexicographical details page.