Japanese word

曰く

Pronunciation

Romajiiwaku

Meaning

  • nounaccording to ___

Example

先生曰く、今日は休みです。sen sei iwa ku kyō wa yasu mi de su

According to the teacher, today is a day off.

Illustration for 曰く (according to ___)

More examples

彼曰く、その計画は順調に進んでいるそうです。kare iwa ku so no kei kaku wa jun chō ni susu n de i ru sō de su

According to him, the plan is progressing smoothly.

Core concept

Connects a statement or a matter with the words or background that explain it, presenting the information as coming from that source.

Common phrases

  • 本人曰くhon nin iwa ku

    according to the person

  • 専門家曰くsen mon ka iwa ku

    according to the expert

Definition in Japanese

ある事柄を、誰かの発言やそれにまつわる事情として伝えること。また、その発言や事情。a ru koto gara o dare ka no hatsu gen ya so re ni ma tsu wa ru ji jō to shi te tsuta e ru ko to ma ta so no hatsu gen ya ji jō

Word origin

The Japanese noun 曰く (iwaku) comes from the classical verb 曰う (iu, "to say") and denotes what is said or the circumstances associated with it.

Usage tips

  • In ordinary modern conversation, 曰く (iwaku) sounds literary, while によると (ni yoru to) is common when introducing an everyday source of information.

Other meanings

  • historynoun
  • reasonnoun

Word lists with this word