動画

• Reading: どうが
• Romaji: douga
• Kanji breakdown: 動 (dou) — move, motion; 画 (ga) — picture, image
• Pronunciation: /doː.ɡa/

Meaning

Video; video clip. A recording of moving images, especially digital video content.

A noun that has become extremely common in the digital age. Originally a technical term contrasting with 静止画 (seishiga, still image), it now primarily refers to online video content. Central to modern media consumption. Common collocations include 動画を見る (douga wo miru, watch a video), 動画を撮る (douga wo toru, record a video), 動画配信 (douga haishin, video streaming), and 動画サイト (douga saito, video site).

Examples

1. 料理の作り方を動画で確認した。 I checked how to make the recipe by watching a video.
2. 旅行の思い出を動画に残しておこう。 Let's keep our travel memories by recording a video.
3. この動画はもう百万回以上再生されている。 This video has already been played over a million times.

Usage Guide

Context: internet, social media, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 動 (dou, move/motion) + 画 (ga, picture/image). Literally 'moving picture' — the Japanese equivalent of the concept behind 'movie' or 'video.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal