方

• 読み: かた
• ローマ字: kata
• 漢字の分解: 方 (hou/kata) — direction, way, person (polite)
• 発音: /ka.ta/

意味

Direction; way; method; manner. Also a polite word for 'person.'

Has two main readings: かた (direction/person, polite) and ほう (direction/side, comparative). As かた, it is a polite alternative to 人 (hito) for 'person.' As ほう, it appears in comparisons (こっちの方が好き). Also used as a suffix meaning 'way of doing' (食べ方 = way of eating).

例文

1. あの方はどなたですか。
2. この漢字の書き方を教えてください。
3. 駅はどちらの方ですか。

使い方ガイド

場面: polite speech, directions, instructions

トーン: polite

起源と歴史

The kanji 方 originally depicted two boats side by side, suggesting the idea of direction or orientation. It has been used since the earliest written Japanese.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal