過言

• Reading: かごん
• Romaji: kagon
• Kanji breakdown: 過 (ka/su) — exceed, surpass; 言 (gen/i) — word, speech
• Pronunciation: /ka.ɡoɴ/

Meaning

Exaggeration; overstatement. An expression that goes beyond what is strictly true.

Almost exclusively used in the set phrase 過言ではない (it is not an exaggeration to say...) or 過言かもしれないが (it may be overstating it, but...). This construction is a rhetorical device to emphasise the gravity or significance of a claim.

Examples

1. この発見は科学史上最大の成果と言っても過言ではない。 It is not an exaggeration to say that this discovery is the greatest achievement in the history of science.
2. 彼が会社を救ったと言っても過言ではないだろう。 It would not be an exaggeration to say that he saved the company.
3. 今回の失敗が転換点になったと言っても過言ではない。 It is not an exaggeration to say that this failure became a turning point.

Usage Guide

Context: formal writing, speeches, journalism

Tone: emphatic

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound: 過 (exceed, go beyond) + 言 (speech, words). Literally 'words that go too far.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated