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On'yomi
ゲン・ゴン
GEN / GON
Kun'yomi
い.う・こと
iu / koto

say · word

wisdom

Details

Strokes7
Frequency#83
Radicalspeech(7)

Stroke Order

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Strokes7

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); all kinds of malicious gossip

一言一行

いちげんいっこう

every word and act; just a word or an act; every word and act

一言居士

いちげんこじ

person who is ready to comment on every subject; ready critic; person who is ready to comment on every subject

言語道断

ごんごどうだん

outrageous; preposterous; scandalous; outrageous

言行一致

げんこういっち

acting up to one's words; consistency between speech and action; acting up to one's words

巧言令色

こうげんれいしょく

flattery; honeyed words; flattery

三百代言

さんびゃくだいげん

pettifogging lawyer; unscrupulous or unethical lawyer; shyster; pettifogging lawyer

千言万語

せんげんばんご

a great many words; huge number of words; a great many words

大言壮語

たいげんそうご

big talk; boasting; bragging; big talk

不言実行

ふげんじっこう

action before words; work before talk; action before words

不言不語

ふげんふご

silence; silence

片言隻語

へんげんせきご

(not even) a few words; (not even) a few words

流言飛語

りゅうげんひご

false rumour (rumor); groundless rumour; canard; false rumour (rumor)

一言半句

いちげんはんく

a single word; (not even) a word; (not even) a syllable; a single word

罵詈雑言

ばりぞうごん

all manner of (verbal) abuse; all kinds of names; abusive language; all manner of (verbal) abuse

一言一句

いちごんいっく

every single word and phrase; word by word; every single word and phrase

言文一致

げんぶんいっち

unification of the written and spoken forms of a language; unification of the written and spoken forms of a language

造言飛語

ぞうげんひご

wild rumor; wild rumour; wild rumor

嘉言善行

かげんぜんこう

good words and good deeds; good words and good deeds

狂言綺語

きょうげんきご

make-believe fiction; 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; good advice is harsh to the ears

片言隻句

へんげんせきく

few words; single phrase; few words

漫言放語

まんげんほうご

saying whatever one feels; speaking at random; making careless remarks; saying whatever one feels

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; 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; kindly excuse my reckless remarks

恐惶謹言

きょうこうきんげん

very truly yours; very respectfully yours; very truly 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; inconsistency of speech and action

他言無用

たごんむよう

not a word to anyone; keep it secret; mum's the word; not a word to anyone

沈黙寡言

ちんもくかげん

taciturn; reticent; taciturn

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; carrying out one's words

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); 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; words and deeds of the people of yore

甘言蜜語

かんげんみつご

honeyed words; flattery; honeyed words

甜言蜜語

てんげんみつご

honeyed words; flattery; honeyed words

Proverbs & Idioms

言わぬが花

いわぬがはな

Not saying is the flower

Sometimes silence is golden

Poetry

和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

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

Poem #21 from Hyakunin Isshu

素性法師Sosei Hōshi
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

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

Poem #63 from Hyakunin Isshu

左京大夫道雅Sakyō no Daibu Michimasa
11th century