も
 | ||||||||
| ||||||||
Japanese
| Stroke order | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [mo̞]
Etymology 1
Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 毛 in the cursive sōsho style.
Syllable
も (romaji mo)
See also
Etymology 2
⟨mo2⟩ → */mə/ → /mo/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *mə. Appears in common use in the Kojiki (712 CE), with the only attested distinction between ⟨mo1⟩ and ⟨mo2⟩. Compare Middle Chinese 母 (MC məuX).
Distinct from ⟨mo1⟩ terms such as 雲 (⟨kumo1⟩ → kumo, “cloud”) and 下 (⟨simo1⟩ → shimo, “lower, end”); pronounced closely to Middle Chinese 毛 (MC mɑu, mɑuH).
This distinction was lost in a later ancient Japanese chronicle, the Nihon Shoki (720 CE), and ⟨mo1⟩ and ⟨mo2⟩ were merged to form one syllable mo. See the Man'yōgana and Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai articles for more detail on ancient spellings.
Particle
も (rōmaji mo)
- too, also, as well
- 田中さんはビールを飲んでいる。スミスさんも飲んでいる。
- Tanaka-san wa bīru o nondeiru. Sumisu-san mo nondeiru.
- Tanaka is drinking beer. Smith is also drinking.
- 本日もご来店くださいまして、ありがとうございます。
- Honjitsu mo go-raiten kudasaimashite, arigatō gozaimasu.
- Thank you for visiting our store today as well [as other days].
- 私にもくれた。
- Watashi ni mo kureta.
- [She] gave some to me, too.
- 田中さんはビールを飲んでいる。スミスさんも飲んでいる。
- not even (with negative statements)
- 箱の中には何もなかった。
- Hako no naka ni wa nani mo nakatta.
- The box was empty.
- (literally, “Inside the box, even something was not there.”)
- 2011, sasakure.UK (lyrics), “ガラクタ姫とアポストロフ”:
- 箱の中には何もなかった。
- Inserted between て (te) and a negative suffix for emphasis.
Derived terms
Etymology 3
The Eastern Old Japanese variant of む (-mu),[1] attested in poems of the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE).
Suffix
も (rōmaji -mo)
- (regional, jodōshi, obsolete) Used to form the conjectural form of verbs, equivalent to modern う (-u) / よう (-yō).
- c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 14, poem 3418), text here
- 可美都氣努佐野田能奈倍能武良奈倍尓許登波佐太米都伊麻波伊可尓世母 [Man'yōgana]
- 上毛野佐野田の苗の群苗に事は定めつ今はいかにせも [Modern spelling]
- Kamitsukeno Sanoda-no-nae no muranae ni koto ni sadametsu ima wa ika ni semo
- (please add an English translation of this example)
- c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 20, poem 4418), text here
- 和我可度乃可多夜麻都婆伎麻己等奈礼和我弖布礼奈々都知尓於知母加毛 [Man'yōgana]
- 我が門の片山椿まこと汝れ我が手触れなな土に落ちもかも [Modern spelling]
- waga kado no katayama tsubaki makoto nare waga te furenana tsuchi ni ochimo ka mo
- (please add an English translation of this example)
- c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 14, poem 3418), text here
Etymology 4
Readings of various kanji.
Noun
も (rōmaji mo)
- 最: This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}. - 喪: mourning
- 裳: This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}. - 藻: algae
- 面: This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}.