Japanese word

こつ

Pronunciation

Romajikotsu

Meaning

  • nountip

Example

母に料理のこつを聞きました。haha ni ryō ri no ko tsu o ki ki ma shi ta

I asked my mother for cooking tips.

Illustration for こつ (tip)

More examples

先生に、早く漢字を覚えるこつを教えてもらいました。sen sei ni haya ku kan ji o obo e ru ko tsu o oshi e te mo ra i ma shi ta

My teacher taught me the trick to learning kanji quickly.

Core concept

こつ (kotsu) centers on the practical point or technique that makes an activity work smoothly.

Common phrases

  • こつをつかむko tsu o tsu ka mu

    grasp the knack

  • こつを覚えるko tsu o obo e ru

    learn the knack

  • こつを教えるko tsu o oshi e ru

    teach the trick

Similar words

要領yōryō: A practical way to do something efficiently and without wasted effort.
秘訣hiketsu: A useful principle or technique that helps produce a good result.
ポイントpointo: A specific detail that deserves attention in an activity.

Definition in Japanese

物事をうまく行うための要領や、経験から得た大切な点。mono goto o u ma ku okona u ta me no yō ryō ya kei ken ka ra e ta tai setsu na ten

Word origin

The noun こつ (kotsu, "knack") comes from 骨 (kotsu, "bone"), which came to mean the essential part of a skill.

Usage tips

  • A teacher may explain a こつ (kotsu) when a task becomes easier through one useful detail rather than through more effort.

Other meanings

  • knacknoun
  • secretnoun

Word lists with this word