The Meaning of hatsugen [発言] In Japanese

発言
はつげん
Romaji: hatsugen N3

What does 発言 mean?

Translation and Meaning

utterance, remark, statement

Definition

発言 means a spoken utterance or statement by someone; a remark expressed aloud in conversation, debate, or official contexts, focusing on what was said rather than how it was said.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • the content of a spoken remark, often quoted or cited in discussion
  • an act of speaking in formal or public settings, such as meetings or press events
  • in political or media discourse, 発言 is used to reference a person’s words or stance, or to discuss retracting a remark

Etymology

発 (hatsu) + 言 (gen) form the compound; this noun uses on’yomi readings for both kanji and conveys the idea of emitting words as speech.

Composition

  • 発: to emit, to start, to release; a trigger of action
  • 言: word, speech; the thing spoken

Usage

Used as a neutral or formal noun in journalism, politics, business, and academic writing to refer to what someone has said; common with phrases like 発言をする, 発言内容, 発言を撤回する; casual conversation may prefer more informal terms.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a hat (発) opening to release words (言); when the hat pops, you hear someone speaking—hat(s)ugen signals the act of uttering words.

Variations

  • 言明 (genmei) — formal statement
  • 発語 (hatsugo) — the act of uttering words
  • 沈黙 (chinmoku) — silence, the opposite concept

Example Phrases

  • 会議で彼女の発言が皆を納得させた。
    Kaigi de kanojo no hatsugen ga minna o nattoku saseta.
    Her remark in the meeting convinced everyone.
    Lista:
    • 会議で (kaigi de) – at a meeting
    • 彼女の (kanojo no) – her
    • 発言が (hatsugen ga) – utterance (subject marker)
    • 皆を (mina o) – everyone (object marker)
    • 納得させた (nattoku saseta) – convinced
    In this sentence, 「発言」 is a noun meaning ‘remark/utterance’ and acts as the subject of the clause.
  • 彼の発言は 愚か だったと 私は 思った。
    Kare no hatsugen wa oroka datta to watashi wa omotta.
    I thought his remark was foolish.
    Lista:
    • 彼の発言は (Kare no hatsugen wa) – his remark
    • 愚か (oroka) – foolish
    • だったと (datta to) – that
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 思った (omotta) – thought
    「愚か」 is a na-adjective; here used predicatively with だった to mean ‘was foolish’.
  • 会議で 発言を 忘れてしまい、 みんなの前で 決まり悪い。
    Kaigi de hatsugen o wasurete shimai, minna no mae de kimariwarui.
    I forgot my speech at the meeting and felt awkward in front of everyone.
    Lista:
    • 会議で (kaigi de) – at a meeting
    • 発言を (hatsugen o) – a remark
    • 忘れてしまい (wasurete shimai) – forgot and
    • みんなの前で (minna no mae de) – in front of everyone
    • 決まり悪い (kimariwarui) – awkward
    「決まり悪い」は、社交の場で恥ずかしく感じる状態を表す形容詞。
発言