Okurigana
Okurigana are the kana characters that follow a kanji in a Japanese word, such as べる in 食べる. They indicate the inflectional ending and help disambiguate the kanji's reading and meaning.
What Are Okurigana?
Okurigana (送り仮名, おくりがな) are the hiragana characters written after a kanji to complete the word. For example, in 食べる (たべる, to eat), the kanji 食 carries the core meaning, and べる is the okurigana. They are essential for showing the grammatical form and for clarifying which reading of the kanji is intended.
Why Are They There?
Japanese kanji often have multiple readings (on'yomi and kun'yomi). Okurigana signal the reading and the grammatical function. For instance, 食 can be read as しょく (on'yomi) in compounds like 食料 (しょくりょう, food) or as たべる (kun'yomi) when followed by べる. Without the okurigana, the reader would not know which reading to use.
How Okurigana Disambiguate Readings
Consider the verb 帰る (かえる, to return). The kanji 帰 has the kun'yomi かえ. The okurigana る indicates the dictionary form. If you see 帰る, you know it's the verb "to return." But 帰 can also appear in 帰国 (きこく, returning to one's country), where it is read き (on'yomi). The presence or absence of okurigana tells you which reading to use.
Okurigana and Verb Conjugation
Okurigana are not fixed; they change with conjugation. For example, 食べる (たべる) becomes 食べます (たべます) in polite form, 食べた (たべた) in past tense, and 食べない (たべない) in negative. The kanji stays the same, but the okurigana changes to reflect tense, mood, and politeness. This is a key feature of Japanese verb conjugation.
Okurigana for Adjectives
Adjectives also use okurigana. The i-adjective 高い (たかい, high/expensive) has the kanji 高 and the okurigana い. When conjugated, the okurigana changes: 高くない (たかくない, not expensive), 高かった (たかかった, was expensive). The kanji 高 is read たか in these cases, but in compounds like 高校 (こうこう, high school) it is read こう.
Okurigana in Nouns
Some nouns have okurigana as well. For example, 大きい (おおきい, big) is an adjective, but 大きさ (おおきさ, size) is a noun formed by adding さ. The okurigana さ is not a conjugation but a derivational suffix. Similarly, 終わり (おわり, end) is a noun derived from the verb 終わる (おわる, to end).
Historical and Stylistic Variations
Okurigana usage has changed over time and can vary by style. In older texts, you might see 送仮名 or 送りがな. Some words have optional okurigana. For example, 引き出す (ひきだす, to pull out) can also be written 引出す, with fewer okurigana. The Japanese government has set guidelines for okurigana in official documents, but everyday writing often follows convention.
Common Mistakes and Tips
Learners often confuse okurigana with furigana. Furigana are small kana written above kanji to show the reading, used for children or learners. Okurigana are part of the word itself. Another common mistake is dropping okurigana when they are needed. For instance, writing 食 instead of 食べる in a sentence would be incomplete.
Okurigana in Dictionary and Learning Tools
When you look up a verb in a dictionary, it is usually listed in the dictionary form with okurigana, such as 食べる. Conjugation charts show how the okurigana changes. Online tools like the Conjugation Dojo can help you practice these patterns. The grammar library also explains okurigana in context.
Conclusion
Okurigana are a fundamental part of written Japanese. They provide the grammatical tail that makes kanji readable and meaningful in context. Understanding them is essential for reading and writing accurately.
Okurigana are sometimes confused with furigana, but they are not reading aids; they are essential parts of the word that indicate grammar and reading.
Questions
What is the difference between okurigana and furigana?
Okurigana are kana that are part of the word, written after the kanji, and change with grammar. Furigana are small kana written above kanji to show the reading, used for learners or children.
Why is 食べる written with べる instead of just 食?
The kanji 食 has multiple readings. The okurigana べる indicates that it is the kun'yomi たべる, meaning 'to eat', and also shows the verb form. Without it, the reading would be ambiguous.
Do I always need to write okurigana?
In standard writing, yes, for verbs and adjectives. Some nouns may have optional okurigana, but omitting them can change the reading or make the word unclear.