The Meaning of supīchi [スピーチ] In Japanese

スピーチ
スピーチ
Romaji: supīchi N5

What does スピーチ mean?

Translation and Meaning

speech, public address, oration

Definition

スピーチ means a formal spoken address delivered to an audience; it denotes the act of public speaking in formal or ceremonial contexts, often at events or gatherings.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • usage as a formal public address given to an audience in settings such as political or ceremonial occasions
  • part of events where opening remarks, toasts, or ceremonial messages are delivered
  • participation in a speech contest or public-speaking event where a prepared talk is presented

Etymology

loanword from English speech, adapted to Japanese phonotactics as スピーチ, with the consonant cluster simplified and the long vowel marked by ー, yielding supīchi.

Origin

Introduced in the Meiji era onward as Western influence brought public speaking practices to Japan, the term スピーチ was borrowed to label the act itself in modern contexts.

Usage

In formal settings, use refers to delivering an official address; typical structures include スピーチをする, 开会のスピーチ, or スピーチ大会への出場, while in more casual talk people may opt for 挨拶や話す instead of スピーチ for everyday conversations.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: link supīchi to the English word speech by noticing the initial s-p sound; the long vowel mark ー lengthens the vowel, so visualize delivering a drawn-out, formal address to remember the long ī sound in supīchi.

Variations

  • 講演 (こうえん) kōen — formal public talk
  • 演説 (えんぜつ) enzetsu — formal political or ceremonial address
  • 講話 (こうわ) kōwa — instructional or casual talk

Example Phrases

  • 明日の学校の発表会でスピーチを準備している。
    Ashita no gakkō no happyoukai de supīchi o junbi shite iru.
    I’m preparing a speech for tomorrow’s school presentation.
    Lista:
    • 明日 (ashita) – tomorrow
    • の (no) – of/possessive marker
    • 学校 (gakkō) – school
    • の (no) – of/possessive marker
    • 発表会 (happyoukai) – presentation
    • で (de) – at (location particle)
    • スピーチ (supīchi) – speech
    • を (o) – direct object marker
    • 準備している (junbi shite iru) – preparing
    In this sentence, 「スピーチ」 is the direct object of 準備している, marked by を; it is a loanword meaning ‘speech’.
スピーチ