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Koto 言生 – Japanese girl given name
Koto (言生) is read ことお and has 3 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 言生, the characters mean: say + life. This reading can be written with at least 45 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 11 to 19 strokes in total.
How to write Koto in Japanese
| Kanji | Reading | Literal meaning | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 言生 | ことお | say + life | 12 |
| 小都 | こと | little + metropolis | 14 |
| 心都 | こと | heart + metropolis | 15 |
| 言男 | ことお | say + male | 14 |
| 言夫 | ことお | say + husband | 11 |
| 呼都 | こと | call + metropolis | 19 |
Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.
The kanji in Koto
Koto in different scripts
| Romaji | Koto |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | ことお |
| Katakana | コトオ |
| Kanji (most common) | 言生 |
Full name examples
- Koto Yuki (Japanese order: 結城言生, ゆうき ことお)
- Koto Kono (Japanese order: 河野言生, こうの ことお)
- Koto Maki (Japanese order: 牧言生, まき ことお)
How to pronounce Koto
Break it into 2 parts: ko · to. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 3 sound units are written ことお.
Questions about Koto
What does Koto mean in Japanese?
Koto has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 言生, combines these meanings: say + life. Other spellings include 小都 (little + metropolis), 心都 (heart + metropolis), 言男 (say + male).
How do you write Koto in kanji?
The most common way is 言生 (ことお). It can also be written 小都, 心都, 言男, 言夫, 呼都.
How do you write Koto in katakana?
Koto is コトオ in katakana and ことお in hiragana.
Is Koto a boy or girl name?
Koto is mostly used for girls.
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言: say, word
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Name data: JMnedict and KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Filtered, regrouped and annotated by NihonNames.