じゃ

• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑa̠]

じゃ (romaji ja)

1. The hiragana syllable じゃ (ja). Its equivalent in katakana is ジャ (ja).

Contraction of particles で (de, form of copula, referring to preceding statement) + は (wa, topic marker).

• じゃあ (jā)

じゃ (rōmaji ja, historical hiragana ぢや)

1. (colloquial) so, then—used for connecting to a reasonable conclusion, supposition

じゃ (rōmaji ja, historical hiragana ぢや)

1. well; then; so
2. by extension from the "so then" meaning: bye, goodbye

Contraction of で (de, form of copula) + ある (aru, “to be, to exist”).

じゃ (rōmaji ja, historical hiragana ぢや)

1. to be

   わしはわしじゃ。

   Washi wa washi ja.

   I am me.

Variation on the Japanese copula だ (da) used in western Japan, such as in Chūgoku, Shikoku, or Kyūshū; particularly common in Hiroshima. The use of じゃ (ja) is also common in fictional dialogue attributed to archaic characters.

Kanji reading.

じゃ (rōmaji ja)

1. 蛇: generic name for a large snake; a heavy drinker
2. 邪: a moral wrong; a bad attitude; maliciousness, wickedness; such a person
3. 麝: short for 麝香 (jakō, “musk”); short for 麝香鹿 (jakōjika, “musk deer”)