Japanese Conversation · Level 120
60 words
Japanese word
和歌
Pronunciation
Romajiwaka
Meaning
- nounwaka
Example
学生は和歌を読みます。gaku sei wa wa ka o yo mi ma su
The student reads a waka.
More examples
春になると、私は桜を題材にした和歌を詠みます。haru ni na ru to watashi wa sakura o dai zai ni shi ta wa ka o yo mi ma su
In spring, I compose a waka about cherry blossoms.
Core concept
A traditional Japanese poem that expresses a focused thought or feeling through a fixed poetic form.
Common phrases
和歌を詠むwa ka o yo mu
compose a waka
和歌を読むwa ka o yo mu
read a waka
Similar words
短歌tanka: A Japanese poem in five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern.
Definition in Japanese
日本で古くから作られてきた詩歌の総称。nihon de furu ku ka ra tsuku ra re te ki ta shiika no sō shō
Word origin
和歌 (waka, "Japanese poem") combines 和 (wa, "Japanese") and 歌 (ka, "song") and originally distinguished Japanese poetry from Chinese poetry.
Usage tips
- In modern Japanese, tanka is the form most often meant by waka, although waka can also refer more broadly to traditional Japanese poetry.