Japanese word

五十音

Pronunciation

Romajigojūon

Meaning

  • nounJapanese syllabary

Example

五十音を覚えます。go jū on o obo e ma su

I memorize the Japanese syllabary.

Illustration for 五十音 (Japanese syllabary)

More examples

辞書の言葉を五十音順に並べます。ji sho no koto ba o go jū on jun ni nara be ma su

I arrange the dictionary words in Japanese syllabary order.

Core concept

五十音 (gojūon) presents Japanese kana in a fixed grid based on vowel and consonant patterns, giving the language a clear sound-based order.

Common phrases

  • 五十音順go jū on jun

    Japanese syllabary order

  • 五十音表go jū on hyō

    Japanese syllabary chart

  • 五十音を覚えるgo jū on o obo e ru

    memorize the Japanese syllabary

Definition in Japanese

日本語の仮名を、五つの母音と子音の組み合わせに基づいて行と段に並べた配列表。nihon go no ka na o itsu tsu no bo in to shi in no ku mi a wa se ni moto zu i te gyō to dan ni nara be ta hai retsu hyō

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 五十音 (gojūon, "fifty sounds") combines 五 (go, "five"), 十 (jū, "ten"), and 音 (on, "sound") to name the organized set of kana sounds.

Usage tips

  • Learning this sound-based order makes it easier to locate kana quickly in reference charts and Japanese dictionaries.

Word lists with this word