The Meaning of dengon [伝言] In Japanese

伝言
でんごん
Romaji: dengon N5

What does 伝言 mean?

Translation and Meaning

message, relay, note left for someone

Definition

What does 伝言 mean? It refers to a message that is passed along or conveyed to another person, often entrusted to someone else to deliver. It captures the idea of information that must be relayed rather than directly spoken by the person who holds the message.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • a message intended for another person
  • a note or information conveyed by someone else
  • the act or content of passing along information to another person

Etymology

伝 den; でん on’yomi; 言 gon; ごん on’yomi; combined as dengon, the phonetic form of the noun.

Composition

  • 伝 — to transmit; convey; pass along
  • 言 — speech, words; the content that is communicated
  • Overall meaning — the message to be passed on or relayed to another person

Usage

Used as a noun to denote a message that should be passed along to another person; common in formal contexts such as offices and schools when relaying information, and in family or casual settings for passing along greetings or instructions; typically paired with verbs like 伝える or 伝言を残す to convey or leave the message.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a relay baton carrying speech bubbles labeled with 伝 and 言; passing along the words equals a 伝言.

Variations

  • 伝達 (でんたつ) — broader act of conveying information (den-tatsu)
  • 連絡 (れんらく) — contact or notification (renraku)
  • メモ (memo) — a short written note left for someone (memo)

Example Phrases

  • 今朝、 学校の 友達に 伝言を 伝えておいて くれる よう、 お願いしました。
    kesa, gakkō no tomodachi ni dengon o tsutaete oite kureru yō, onegaishimashita.
    This morning, I asked a school friend to pass along the message.
    Lista:
    • 今朝、 (kesa,) – This morning,
    • 学校の (gakkō no) – school’s
    • 友達に (tomodachi ni) – to a friend
    • 伝言を (dengon o) – the message (object)
    • 伝えておいて (tsutaete oite) – relay in advance
    • くれる (kureru) – to give / to do for me
    • よう、 (yō,) – so that / in order to
    • お願いしました。 (onegaishimashita.) – I asked
    核心ポイント: 「伝言」 is a noun meaning 「message to relay」; it is the direct object of 「伝える」. Here 「伝言を伝えておいてくれるよう」 expresses asking someone to relay the message in advance.
伝言