い

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "i"

い U+3044, い
HIRAGANA LETTER I
← ぃ
 		Hiragana ぅ →

Japanese

Stroke order
2 strokes

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 以 in the cursive sōsho style.

Pronunciation

This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

Syllable

い • (i) 

  1. The hiragana syllable い (i). Its equivalent in katakana is イ (i). It is the second syllable in the gojūon order; its position is あ行い段 (a-gyō i-dan, “row a, section i”).
See also

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
え (dated)

Corruption of emphatic particle よ (yo) or exclamatory particle や (ya).[1]

Particle

い • (i) 

  1. Used in compounds with certain sentence-ending particles to create a familiar effect.
    だ (da) → だい (dai)
    か (ka) → かい (kai)
  2. Used in compounds with certain sentence-ending particles to create an exclamatory effect.
    わ (wa) → わい (wai)
    ぞ (zo) → ぞい (zoi)
    や (ya) → やい (yai)
  3. Used after verbs to create an exclamatory effect.
    勝(かっ)手(て)にしろい！
    Katte ni shiroi!
    Have it your way!

Etymology 3

From Old Japanese. Possibly cognate with Korean nominal particle 이 (i).

Used in Old Japanese, still found in use in Chinese works annotated for Japanese readers of Early Middle Japanese in the early Heian period, then becoming more limited and appearing only in specialized Buddhist texts. Fallen into disuse by the late Heian period from the time of so-called “cloistered rule”.[2][3]

Obsolete. Not used in modern Japanese.

Particle

い • (i) 

  1. (obsolete) emphatic subject marker, added to nouns and verb stems
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 4, poem 545:
      吾背子之 跡履求 追去者 木乃関守伊 将留鴨
      Waga seko ga ato fumimotome ohiyukaba Ki no sekimori i todometemukamo
      If I go seeking after you, Following your footmarks, Will the guard of the pass In Ki bid me halt?
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 12, poem 3161:
      在千方 在名草目而 行目友 家有妹伊 将鬱悒
      Arichigata arinagusamete yukamedomo ihe n aru imo i ifukashimi semu
      This beautiful Arichigata. I wish to stop this way And continue to comfort my heart for a short while, but At home, my wife is waiting for me without being carefree. I must hurry on my way.
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 13, poem 3287:
      乾坤乃 神乎禱而 吾恋 公以必 不相在目八方
      Ame tsuchi no kami o inorite aga kofuru kimi i kanarazu ahazuara-me ya mo
      If you pray to the deities of heaven and earth, You, who are in love with me, would never possibly meet me without fail.
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 14, poem 3393:
      筑波祢乃 乎弖毛許能母尓 毛利敝須恵 波播已毛礼杼母 多麻曾阿比尓家留
      Tsukubane no otemokonomo ni moribe sue haha i moredomo tama zo ainikeru
      As if with wardens posted On this and that side of the Tsukuba Mountain, My mother watches me; But our spirits have met.
    • 797: Shoku Nihongi (edict 6)
      京職大夫從三位藤原朝臣麻呂等伊負圖龜一頭獻止
      (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    • 797: Shoku Nihongi (edict 12)
      聞看食國中能東方陸奥國守從五位上百濟王敬福伊部内少田郡仁黄金出在奏弖獻
      (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    • 797: Shoku Nihongi (edict 34)
      然後仁逆心乎以天朝庭乎動傾止之天兵乎備流時仁和氣伊申天在
      (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  2. (obsolete) emphatic phrase-final particle, emphasizing preceding phrase
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 3, poem 481:
      白細之 袖指可倍弖 靡寢 吾黒髪乃 真白髪尓 成極新世尓 共将有跡 玉緒乃 不絶射妹跡 結而石 事者不果 [...]
      Shirotae no sode sashikaete nabikineshi waga kurokami no mashiraga ni naran kiwami aratayo ni tomoni aranto tamanoo no taejii imo to musubiteshi koto wa hatarazu
      Till my black hair be white, We shall be together, I and my darling, Sleeping, our sleeves overlapped, She nestling by my side, Bound in never-ending love, Through this new age of our Sovereign; So I vowed, but my word proved false, My hopes were vain.
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 7, poem 1359:
      向岳之 若楓木 下杖取 花待伊間尓 嘆鶴鴨
      Makatsuwo no wakakatsuranoki shitsuetori hanamatsuimani nagekitsurukamo
      Lower branches of a young katsura standing on the opposite peak. It is that I remove them and wait for the flowers to bloom, but throughout this time I feel frustrated and let out a sigh.
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 10, poem 1851:
      青柳之 糸乃細紗 春風尓 不乱伊間尓 令視子裳欲得
      Awoyagi no itonokuhashisa harukazeni midarenuimani misemukomogamo
      The beautiful sight of fine willow branches hanging verdantly. I wish I had a girlfriend to show it to together with me at that time when it is never disturbed by the spring breeze.
Derived terms

Etymology 4

An extension of use of the -i ending on adjectives.

Suffix

い • (-i) -i (adverbial く (-ku))

  1. (informal) suffix forming adjectives: -ic; -al
    チャラチャラ (charachara, “onomatopoeia for jingling”) → チャラい (charai, “flashy”)
Inflection
Inflection of いい
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) かろ karo
Continuative (連用形) く ku
Terminal (終止形) い i
Attributive (連体形) い i
Hypothetical (仮定形) けれ kere
Imperative (命令形) かれ kare
Key constructions
Informal negative くない ku nai
Informal past かった katta
Informal negative past くなかった ku nakatta
Formal いです i desu
Formal negative くないです ku nai desu
Formal past かったです katta desu
Formal negative past くなかったです ku nakatta desu
Conjunctive くて kute
Conditional ければ kereba
Provisional かったら kattara
Volitional かろう karō
Adverbial く ku
Degree さ sa

Etymology 5

For pronunciation and definitions of い – see the following entries.
【以】4
from (this reference point) and (more)
by, with, by means of
【伊】J
Short for イタリア (Italia, “Italy”).
Short for 伊太利 (Italia, “Italy”).
Short for 伊賀 (Iga, “Iga”).
【位】4
rank, place
rank, place
decimal place
ghosts
【依】S
rely on; depend on
according to
as before
【偉】S
(literary) greatness
(literary) great
great, excellent, magnificent, extraordinary
【匜】H
(historical) yi (a kind of bronze gourd-shaped vessel for holding water)
【医】3
doctor; physician; medicine
doctor
medicine, the healing arts
【唯】S
polite particle used to respond to elders: yes
polite particle used to respond to elders: yes
【囲】5
counter for the amount that can be encircled in one's arms, used as a rough measurement of circumference (roughly 1.5 meters)
surround; encircle; enclosure
circumference
【夷】J
those people with differing languages and/or cultures
a barbarian, savage; uncivilized people (living to the east of ancient Imperial China; included Japan)
a neutral (position)
【委】3
entrust; leave to
cast aside; abandon
detailed
Short for 委員会 (iinkai, “committee”).
【姨】H
a wife's sister; more specifically, a wife's younger sister
a mother's sister, a maternal aunt
a mistress (extramarital female lover); more specifically, a father's mistress
【威】S
power; might; strength; authority
power; might; strength; authority; dignity; majesty
【尉】S
a watchman or military officer in the ancient Chinese military
A military rank.
【已】J
already
Alternative form of 以 (i)
【帷】H
a curtain or hanging that covers all sides
hanging; curtain
【彙】S
to sort and collect; collection, compilation, group
【彝】H
in ancient China, a tripod kettle or other vessel used to make offerings to one's ancestors
(by extension) cardinal principle
Yi (ethnic group)
【怡】H
rejoice; enjoy
【意】3
thoughts; feelings
intent; meaning; goodwill
mind; idea; thought; feeling; intention
meaning
【慰】S
comfort; console
【扆】H
in ancient China, a special windscreen placed behind the throne, made of red cloth embroidered with a pattern of axes and used during imperial audiences
(by extension) the throne itself
【易】5
something easy to do; easiness
easy; simple
【椅】S
Only used in 椅子 (isu, ishi, “chair”)
【為】S
the twelfth string on a 箏 (koto, “Japanese zither”)
a fingering method for playing the 尺八 (shakuhachi, “Japanese endblown flute”)
do, perform, carry out
【畏】S
fear
respect
【異】6
(literary) difference
(Buddhism) change or disease, one of the four states or avasthā
(literary) strange; unusual
different
strange; unusual; extraordinary; excellent
aberrant
other; another
【移】5
(historical) under the Ritsuryō system of ancient Japan, an official document exchanged between officials with no direct authority over each other
shift; move; change
【維】S
hold together; keep; maintain
what holds together; net, supportive
【緯】S
weft, woof
parallels of latitude
【縊】H
hang; strangle
【胃】6
stomach
(Chinese astronomy) Stomach Mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)
gastric; of or relating to the stomach
【萎】S
wither; droop
【蝟】H
the Chinese name of the 針鼠 (harinezumi, “hedgehog”)
【衣】4
clothes, clothing
clothes, clothing
garb, robe (as worn by a monk, nun, or priest)
【違】S
differ; vary
go against; run counter to; disobey
【遺】6
something fallen, something lost or left behind
be left, remain
leave behind after one's death, bequeath
leave behind, forget
give, present
let leak
(This term, い (i), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)
For a list of all kanji read as い, see Category:Japanese kanji read as い.)

Etymology 6

From various Japonic origins.

For pronunciation and definitions of い – see the following entries.
【井】4
well (water source)
a surname
【亥】J
the Boar, the twelfth of the twelve Earthly Branches
【堰】J
a dike or levee for containing water
【居】5
being (in a place), sitting (in a place); a seat
【寝】S
(obsolete) sleep, sleeping
【胆】S
gallbladder; liver
【猪】J
a pig or wild boar
【藺】H
a rush
【五】1
five
【五十】
Combining form of いそ (iso) above: fifty, 50
(by extension) Combining form of いそ (iso) above: a large quantity
【斎】S
(Shinto) added to spiritual nouns to indicate purity and holiness: holy, pure, sacred
(This term, い (i), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)
For a list of all kanji read as い, see Category:Japanese kanji read as い.)

(The following entry is uncreated: 汝.)

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  • Kurano, Kenji with Yūkichi Takeda (1958) Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 1: Kojiki, Norito, Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
  • Kurano, Kenji (1936) Shoku Nihongi Senmyō (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
  • Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 1: Man’yōshū 1 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 1999, →ISBN.
  • Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 2: Man’yōshū 2 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 2000, →ISBN.
  • Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 3: Man’yōshū 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 2002, →ISBN.
  • Donald Keene (2023 March 25) “The Manyōshū: The Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkōkai Translation of One Thousand Poems with the Texts in Romaji”, in The Japan Society for the Promotion of Scientific Research, Gwern.net‎ (PDF), retrieved 17 June 2023

Okinawan

Prefix

い (i-) 

  1. (Old Okinawan, Middle Okinawan) attaches to verbs and adjectives. Further details are uncertain. The derived terms do not appear to have any difference in meaning than their original terms.
  2. attaches to nouns to give a special value
    いくとぅば
    ikutuba
    legend (< kutuba "word")

References

  • Okinawa Kogo Daijiten Henshū I'inkai (沖縄古語大辞典編集委員会) (1995) 沖縄古語大辞典 [Dictionary of Archaic Okinawan], Tokyo (東京都): Kadokawa Shoten (角川書店), →ISBN, page 53
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