Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph of words coming from mouth. Shape of tongue and mouth.
Symbolism
Words, promise, truth. Belief in power of words seen in 'kotodama' concept.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Drawing a sword
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
悪口雑言
あっこうぞうごん
all kinds of malicious gossip; heaping verbal abuse (on); cursing and swearing (words)
一言一行
いちげんいっこう
every word and act; just a word or an act
一言居士
いちげんこじ
person who is ready to comment on every subject; ready critic
言語道断
ごんごどうだん
outrageous; preposterous; scandalous
言行一致
げんこういっち
acting up to one's words; consistency between speech and action
巧言令色
こうげんれいしょく
flattery; honeyed words
三百代言
さんびゃくだいげん
pettifogging lawyer; unscrupulous or unethical lawyer; shyster
千言万語
せんげんばんご
a great many words; huge number of words
大言壮語
たいげんそうご
big talk; boasting; bragging
不言実行
ふげんじっこう
action before words; work before talk
不言不語
ふげんふご
silence
片言隻語
へんげんせきご
(not even) a few words
流言飛語
りゅうげんひご
false rumour (rumor); groundless rumour; canard
一言半句
いちげんはんく
a single word; (not even) a word; (not even) a syllable
罵詈雑言
ばりぞうごん
all manner of (verbal) abuse; all kinds of names; abusive language
一言一句
いちごんいっく
every single word and phrase; word by word
言文一致
げんぶんいっち
unification of the written and spoken forms of a language
造言飛語
ぞうげんひご
wild rumor; wild rumour
嘉言善行
かげんぜんこう
good words and good deeds
狂言綺語
きょうげんきご
make-believe fiction
忠言逆耳
ちゅうげんぎゃくじ
good advice is harsh to the ears; honest advice is often unpleasant to the ears
片言隻句
へんげんせきく
few words; single phrase
漫言放語
まんげんほうご
saying whatever one feels; speaking at random; making careless remarks
面従後言
めんじゅうこうげん
pretending to obey someone to his face but badmouthing him behind his back
妄言多謝
もうげんたしゃ
kindly excuse my reckless remarks; please excuse my thoughtless words
恐惶謹言
きょうこうきんげん
very truly yours; very respectfully yours
言行齟齬
げんこうそご
inconsistency of speech and action; failing to act up to one's words; not practicing what one preaches
他言無用
たごんむよう
not a word to anyone; keep it secret; mum's the word
沈黙寡言
ちんもくかげん
taciturn; reticent
有言実行
ゆうげんじっこう
carrying out one's words; being as good as one's word; making good on one's promise
恐恐謹言
きょうきょうきんげん
very truly yours (a complimentary close used in a letter written in an old epistolary style)
前言往行
ぜんげんおうこう
words and deeds of the people of yore
甘言蜜語
かんげんみつご
honeyed words; flattery
甜言蜜語
てんげんみつご
honeyed words; flattery
Proverbs & Idioms
言わぬが花
いわぬがはな
Not saying is the flower
Sometimes silence is golden
Poetry
今こむと 言ひしばかりに 長月の 有明の月を 待ちいでつるかな
Only because you said you would come at once, I waited through the long ninth month until the dawn moon rose.
今はただ 思ひ絶えなむ とばかりを 人づてならで 言ふよしもがな
Now there is only this to say — that I give you up — and I wish I could say it myself, not through another.
Anime & Manga
言の葉の庭
The Garden of Words
A well-known work with 言 in its Japanese title.
サイダーのように言葉が湧き上がる
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
A well-known work with 言 in its Japanese title.
旦那が何を言っているかわからない件
I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying
A well-known work with 言 in its Japanese title.
私、能力は平均値でって言ったよね!
Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!
A well-known work with 言 in its Japanese title.
クビキリサイクル 青色サヴァンと戯言遣い
Kubikiri Cycle: The Blue Savant and the Nonsense User
A well-known work with 言 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
清少納言
Name contains 言
Sei Shōnagon , or Seijo ʑo, seꜜː-], lit. 'Lady Sei'), was a Japanese author, poet, and court lady who served the Empress Teishi around the year 1000,…
Wikipedia尚侍家中納言
Name contains 言
Fujiwara no Chikako was a waka poet and Japanese noblewoman active in the Kamakura period.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 言 mean in Japanese?
言 means say, word.
How do you read 言?
On'yomi: ゲン、ゴン (GEN, GON). Kun'yomi: い.う、こと (iu, koto).
How many strokes does 言 have?
言 has 7 strokes. Its radical is 言 (speech).
Is 言 a good kanji for a tattoo?
言 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means say, word. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.