How to say "language" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 言葉ことばnounLanguage in its everyday senses: what people speak, the words and expressions they use, and the dialect of a region or group. The word that comes naturally in daily conversation and writing.
- 言語げんごnounLanguage as a system: the word for language in the abstract — a human faculty, or a particular language such as Japanese or English — the term you meet in academic and technical writing.
- nounSeldom the word you want for language in any ordinary sense: for that, 言葉 or 言語 is what a speaker uses. A katakana term learners can safely leave alone.
- 言辞げんじnounLanguage in the sense of speech or wording — what someone says and how they say it. It points to the expression of a particular speaker or statement, not to language as a system.
- 言葉遣いことばづかいnounLanguage as a person's manner of speaking: the wording and expressions someone uses, praised as polite or faulted as rough. It points to how something is said, not to language in general.
Choose 言葉 for language in everyday talk, including a region's dialect, 言語 for language as a system, 言辞 and 「言葉遣い」 for wording and manner of speech, and leave 「ラング」 aside in ordinary use.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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