言

音読おんよみ: ゲン・ゴン

訓読くんよみ: いう・こと

画数かくすう: 7

部首ぶしゅ: げん（言）

Meaning

To say / Express in words

  • Basic forms
  • 言う — to say; to tell / base form
  • 言います — (I) say; tell / masu form
  • 言った — said; told / ta form
  • 言って — say … and / te-form
  • 言わない — don’t say / negative
  • 言えば — if (you) say / conditional
  • 言え・言いなさい — say it! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 言いたい — want to say / 〜たい form
  • 言える — can say / potential
  • 言えた — was able to say / past potential
  • 言えない — cannot say / negative potential
  • More
  • 言おう — let’s say; I will say / 〜よう form
  • 言わなかった — didn’t say / past negative
  • 言っている — is saying; is telling / progressive
言う（いう） is a godan verb that ends in う. The stem is 言い, but the te-form and ta-form are irregular: 「言って」「言った」. It is one of the most basic verbs, used in patterns like 「〜と言う」 or 「名前を言う」.
  • 言いう — to say
  • 言葉ことば — word / language
  • 伝言でんごん — message
  • 発言はつげん — remark / statement
  • 名言めいげん — famous quote
  • 言語げんご — language
Compound - tap to expand
  • 言いい合あう — say to each other; argue; exchange words
  • 言いい争あらそう — argue; quarrel verbally
  • 言いいそびれる — miss the chance to say
  • 言いい出だす — bring oneself to say; bring up
  • 言いいかける — start to say (but stop midway)
  • 言いい忘わすれる — forget to say
  • 言いい放はなつ — blurt out; declare bluntly
  • 言いい切きる — say definitively; assert firmly
  • 言いい張はる — insist; stick to one’s claim
  • 言いい付つける — order; tell someone to do (authoritatively)

The kanji 言 is used in many words about speaking, language, and communication. It’s fundamental in everyday conversation and academic or formal Japanese as well.

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