1.
okurigana, kana suffixes following kanji
The hiragana characters that follow a kanji character to indicate its grammatical function, such as verb conjugation endings or adjective inflections.
送り仮名を間違えた。
I got the okurigana wrong.
「行う」の送り仮名は「う」です。
The okurigana for 行う (okonau) is う.
日本語を学ぶとき、正しい送り仮名を覚えるのは大変だ。
When learning Japanese, memorizing the correct okurigana is tough.
USAGE: A Japanese writing system term. Okurigana help disambiguate kanji readings and show grammatical forms.
EXAMPLES OF OKURIGANA:
- 食べる: べる is the okurigana
- 美しい: しい is the okurigana
- 大きい: きい is the okurigana
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 送り仮名を間違える: to get the okurigana wrong
- 正しい送り仮名: correct okurigana
NOTE: Rules for okurigana are set by the Japanese government's 内閣告示 (Cabinet Notice). Some words have multiple accepted okurigana patterns (e.g., 行う and 行なう).