Japanese word

京

Pronunciation

Romajikyō

Meaning

  • nounKyoto

Example

平安時代、京には多くの人が住んでいました。hei an ji dai kyō ni wa ō ku no hito ga su n de i ma shi ta

During the Heian period, many people lived in Kyoto.

Illustration for 京 (Kyoto)

More examples

祖父は若いころ、京で学んだそうです。so fu wa waka i ko ro kyō de mana n da sō de su

My grandfather apparently studied in Kyoto when he was young.

Core concept

Presents a capital as the seat of political power, with Kyoto as its strongest historical association in Japanese usage.

Common phrases

  • 京で暮らすkyō de ku ra su

    live in Kyoto

  • 京から帰るkyō ka ra kae ru

    return from Kyoto

Definition in Japanese

天皇のいる都を指す語。また、特に京都を指す歴史的な呼び名。tennō no i ru miyako o sa su go ma ta toku ni kyō to o sa su reki shi teki na yo bi na

Word origin

京 (kyō, "capital") is a Sino-Japanese word from the Chinese character 京, which means "capital"; in Japan, it denotes the emperor's capital and especially Kyoto.

Usage tips

  • English normally says Kyoto, but 京 (kyō) appears in historical discussions where the city is viewed as the imperial capital rather than simply as a place name.

Other meanings

  • capitalnoun

Word lists with this word