Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of '言' (words) and '吾' (I). One's own words, speaking.
Symbolism
Language, story, conversation. Essence of human communication.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Drawing a sword
Component Breakdown
left-right: speech + 吾
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
言語道断
ごんごどうだん
outrageous; preposterous; scandalous
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
造言飛語
ぞうげんひご
wild rumor; wild rumour
狂言綺語
きょうげんきご
make-believe fiction
漫言放語
まんげんほうご
saying whatever one feels; speaking at random; making careless remarks
一語一句
いちごいっく
every single word and phrase; each and every word
街談巷語
がいだんこうご
street gossips and idle rumors; hearsay
和顔愛語
わがんあいご
with a gentle face and a nice word
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
語るに落ちる
かたるにおちる
To let slip while talking
Accidentally revealing secrets in conversation
Anime & Manga
物語シリーズ
Monogatari Series
The 'tale' in 'Monogatari.' Nisio Isin's unique dialogue drama.
化物語
Bakemonogatari
A well-known work with 語 in its Japanese title.
時々ボソッとロシア語でデレる隣のアーリャさん
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian
A well-known work with 語 in its Japanese title.
偽物語
Nisemonogatari
A well-known work with 語 in its Japanese title.
〈物語〉シリーズ セカンドシーズン
Monogatari Series Second Season
A well-known work with 語 in its Japanese title.
Games
テイルズシリーズ
Tales Series(1995)
Developer: Bandai Namco
Action RPG series emphasizing 'story/narrative.'
View on Amazon →Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 語 mean in Japanese?
語 means word, speech, language.
How do you read 語?
On'yomi: ゴ (GO). Kun'yomi: かた.る、かた.らう (kataru, katarau).
How many strokes does 語 have?
語 has 14 strokes. Its radical is 言 (speech).
Is 語 a good kanji for a tattoo?
語 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means word, speech, language. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.