元

• 読み: もと
• ローマ字: moto
• 漢字の分解: 元 (moto/gen/gan) — origin, source, beginning, former
• 発音: /mo.to/

意味

Origin; source; beginning. Refers to the base, root, or starting point of something.

A versatile word appearing in many common compounds like 元気 (genki, healthy/energetic) and 元日 (ganjitsu, New Year's Day). As a standalone noun it means 'origin' or 'the original.' Also used as a prefix meaning 'former,' as in 元彼 (motokare, ex-boyfriend).

例文

1. この話の元は何ですか。
2. 元の場所に戻してください。
3. 元はこの近くに住んでいました。

使い方ガイド

場面: daily life, conversation, explanation

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From Old Japanese. The kanji 元 depicts a person with the head emphasized, representing the 'head' or 'beginning' of something.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal