送り仮名

• Reading: おくりがな
• Romaji: okurigana
• Kanji breakdown: 送 (sou/oku) — send; 仮 (ka/kari) — temporary, provisional; 名 (mei/na) — name
• Pronunciation: /o.kɯ.ɾi.ɡa.na/

Meaning

Okurigana; kana suffixes written after kanji. The hiragana characters that follow a kanji to complete the reading of a word.

A noun specific to Japanese orthography. Okurigana serve to indicate verb conjugations, adjective endings, and to disambiguate kun-yomi readings. For example, in 食べる the べる is okurigana. Correct okurigana usage is formally governed by guidelines from the Japanese Cabinet (内閣告示). Mistakes in okurigana are common even among native speakers and are a frequent topic in language exams.

Examples

1. 送り仮名を間違えると、意味が変わることがある。 Getting okurigana wrong can sometimes change the meaning.
2. 小学校では送り仮名のルールをしっかり教わる。 In elementary school, students are taught the rules for okurigana thoroughly.
3. この漢字の送り仮名は何ですか。 What is the okurigana for this kanji?

Usage Guide

Context: education, writing, language study

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 送り (okuri, sending off, attaching) + 仮名 (kana, Japanese phonetic script). The kana are 'sent along' after the kanji to complete the word.

Cultural Context

Era: Pre-modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated