Japanese word

零

Pronunciation

Romajirei

Meaning

  • nounzero

Example

答えは零です。kota e wa rei de su

The answer is zero.

Illustration for 零 (zero)

More examples

彼の得点は零でした。kare no toku ten wa rei de shi ta

His score was zero.

Core concept

Represents the complete absence of a countable amount, serving as the neutral point between positive and negative values.

Common phrases

  • 零時rei ji

    midnight

  • 零点を取るrei ten o to ru

    score zero points

  • 零まで減るrei ma de he ru

    decrease to zero

Similar words

ゼロzero: The everyday term commonly used for a number representing no amount or value.

Definition in Japanese

数や量がまったくないこと。sū ya ryō ga ma tta ku na i ko to

Word origin

零 (rei, "zero") is a Sino-Japanese word borrowed from Chinese; the character originally referred to falling drops and came to denote the empty place in a number.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 零 (rei) is common in mathematical or formal contexts, while ゼロ (zero) is also widely used in everyday speech.

Word lists with this word