Japanese word

めいめい

Pronunciation

Romajimeimei

Meaning

  • adverbeach

Example

学生はめいめい自分の席に座ります。gaku sei wa me i me i ji bun no seki ni suwa ri ma su

The students each sit in their own seats.

Illustration for めいめい (each)

More examples

発表の後で、学生たちはめいめいに質問します。hap pyō no ato de gaku sei ta chi wa me i me i ni shitsu mon shi ma su

After the presentations, the students each ask a question.

Core concept

Shows that the same action or state applies to every member of a group separately.

Common phrases

  • めいめいに答えるme i me i ni kota e ru

    answer individually

  • めいめいに配るme i me i ni kuba ru

    distribute to each person

Similar words

それぞれsorezore: Indicates each person or thing in a group considered separately.
各自kakuji: Indicates that each person acts or has something individually.
各々onoono: Refers to every individual member of a group separately, often in formal language.

Definition in Japanese

集団に属する各人や各物について、それぞれに同じ事柄が及ぶさま。shū dan ni zoku su ru kaku jin ya kaku mono ni tsu i te so re zo re ni ona ji koto gara ga oyo bu sa ma

Word origin

The Japanese adverb めいめい (meimei) is the hiragana form of 銘々 (meimei, "each individual"); 銘 (mei, "name or inscription") is doubled in this established Sino-Japanese expression.

Usage tips

  • In modern Japanese, それぞれ (sorezore) is often more general in conversation, while めいめい (meimei) strongly foregrounds separate individuals.

Other meanings

  • individuallyadverb

Word lists with this word