What is Independent?
Independent words in Japanese, or "dokuritsu-go" (独立語), are phrases that do not have a direct relationship with other phrases and express emotions or calls.
Examples include "maa" (まあ), "hai" (はい), and "moshi moshi" (もしもし).
This article explains the definition and how to identify independent words.
Definition
An independent word is a phrase that does not have a direct relationship with other phrases.
This is referred to as an "independent relationship" (独立の関係).
Defining Phrases
A phrase, or "bunsetsu" (文節), is the smallest unit of meaning.
It is important to insert "ne" (ね) or "yo" (よ) at natural positions when dividing sentences into phrases.
Examples
Below are examples of independent words in Japanese.
- "Saa, dekakeyou." (さあ、出かけよう。)
- "Hai, sono anken wa watashi ga tantou shimashita." (はい、その案件は私が担当しました。)
- "Yamada-kun, hayaku junbi o owarasenasai." (山田くん、早く準備を終わらせなさい。)
- "Wagamama, sore ga kirawareru gen'in dewa nai ka." (わがまま、それが嫌われる原因ではないか。)
Independent Word Types
Independent words in Japanese can be classified into the following four categories:
Emotions
Words that express surprise, joy, sadness, anger, or doubt.
- ara (あら)
- aa (ああ)
- are (あれ)
- eh (えっ)
- oo (おお)
- oya (おや)
- maa (まあ)
- yareyare (やれやれ)
Calls
Words used to call out to others.
- moshi moshi (もしもし)
- kora (こら)
- kore (これ)
- korekore (これこれ)
- saa (さあ)
- sora (そら)
- sore (それ)
- dore (どれ)
- ne (ね)
- nee (ねえ)
- moshi (もし)
- yaa (やあ)
- yai (やい)"
Responses
Words used to respond to what someone else has said.
- aa (ああ)
- iie (いいえ)
- iya (いや)
- un (うん)
- ee (ええ)
- hai (はい)
Greetings
Words used to express greetings.
- konnichiwa (こんにちは)
- konbanwa (こんばんは)
- sayonara (さようなら)
- ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます)
Part of Speech
Interjections and nouns can be independent words. A characteristic of independent words is that it does not feel strange to put a period (。) after them.
Summary
Independent words are phrases that do not have a relationship with other phrases and express emotions or calls.
It is characteristic of independent words that it does not feel strange to put a period after them.
Learning correct Japanese will reduce misunderstandings with others and help you communicate smoothly.