Japanese word

都

Pronunciation

Romajimiyako

Meaning

  • nouncapital

Example

奈良は昔、日本の都でした。nara wa mukashi nihon no miyako de shi ta

Nara was Japan's capital long ago.

Illustration for 都 (capital)

More examples

東京は現在も日本の都として重要な役割を果たしています。tō kyō wa gen zai mo nihon no miyako to shi te jū yō na yaku wari o ha ta shi te i ma su

Tokyo still plays an important role as Japan's capital today.

Core concept

Refers to a city that serves as the political center of a country, where the central government is based.

Common phrases

  • 都に選ぶmiyako ni era bu

    choose as a capital

  • 都を守るmiyako o mamo ru

    protect the capital

Similar words

首都shuto: The city where a country's central government is located and national political affairs are centered.

Definition in Japanese

政府や君主が置かれ、国の政治の中心となる都市。sei fu ya kun shu ga o ka re kuni no sei ji no chū shin to na ru to shi

Word origin

The native Japanese word 都 (miyako, "capital") is written with the Chinese-origin character 都 (to, "capital city"), matching its historical sense.

Usage tips

  • The place name 京都 (Kyōto, "capital city") contains 都 (to, "capital city"), and Kyoto served as Japan's capital for more than a thousand years.

Other meanings

  • seat of governmentnoun

Word lists with this word