こ

See also: ご, こ゚, and ح

こ U+3053, こ HIRAGANA LETTER KO ← げ [U+3052] Hiragana ご → [U+3054]

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ko̞]

Etymology 1

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

Syllable

こ • (ko) 

1. The hiragana syllable こ (ko). Its equivalent in katakana is コ (ko). It is the tenth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is か行お段 (ka-gyō o-dan, “row ka, section o”).

Derived terms

• ご (go)

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こ𛄲 (𛄲)ご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, らら゚, りり゚, るる゚, れれ゚, ろろ゚, わゎわ゙, ゐ𛅐 (𛅐)ゐ゙, 𛄟 (𛄟), ゑ𛅑 (𛅑)ゑ゙, を𛅒 (𛅒)を゙, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of こ – see the following entries.

【戸】2 [noun] houses; apartments [noun] door [noun] The smallest administrative division under the ritsuryō system of governance. [counter] house; apartment [counter] household; family

【故】5 [prefix] the deceased, late [affix] old; past; former

【個】5 [counter] item, article, thing Alternative spelling 㐰

【呼】6 [affix] to breathe out, to exhale, to sigh [affix] to shout, to yell [affix] to call (someone), to address

【孤】S [noun] an orphan [noun] solitude [adjective] solitary

【弧】S [noun] arc

【顧】S [counter] looks back, double-takes (often as 一(いっ)顧(こ) (ikko)) [counter] (figurative, chiefly in the negative) care, concern; amount one cares Alternative spelling コ

【袴】J [noun] (rare) hakama: a type of traditional Japanese trousers [noun] (rare) momohiki: traditional Japanese closefitting workman's trousers [noun] (historical, military): prior to World War II, the general term for trousers in the Imperial Japanese Army

【壺】H [noun] hu (ancient Chinese vessel shaped like a vase, usually used to store alcohol) Alternative spelling 壷

(This term, こ (ko), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as こ, see Category:Japanese kanji read as こ.)

(The following entries are uncreated: 古, 庫, 湖, 固, 己, 股, 虎, 枯, 虚, 雇, 誇, 鼓, 錮, 乎, 胡, 糊, 姑, 沽, 狐, 扈, 蠱.)

Etymology 3

Native.

For pronunciation and definitions of こ – see the following entries.

【子】1 [noun] a child [noun] (figuratively) a girl, especially a dear or desired one (compare use of English baby, babe) [noun] (endearing) creature [noun] a smaller or younger version of a bigger object [noun] (hanafuda, card games, by extension, board games, gambling) person who is dealt cards [prefix] an object which has a subservient or derivative role relative to another object [suffix] suffix used in female given names, such as 智子 (​Tomoko), 英子 (​Eiko), 秀子 (​Hideko), 美奈子 (​Minako), 有希子 (​Yukiko) [suffix] (rare) suffix used in male given names [suffix] an object having a particular state or property (sometimes diminutive) [suffix] roe (only when preceded by a fish name, or fish-related prefix) [proper noun] a surname Alternative spellings 児, 娘

【小】1 [prefix] less in size or quantity, small, little, short [prefix] less in intensity, small, light, slight [prefix] of secondary importance, secondary, sub- [prefix] infant

【粉】5 [noun] [from 759] powder [noun] [from 759] flour

【籠】S [noun] a basket, especially one made of bamboo [noun] Short for 伏籠 (fusego): a clothes airer, or chicken coop Alternative spelling 篭

【木】1 [noun] Combining form of 木 (き, ki): tree; wood

【濃】S [prefix] dark color

【海鼠】 [noun] (obsolete) sea cucumber

【蚕】6 [noun] (obsolete) silkworm

【処】6 [suffix] (not productive) place

(This term, こ (ko), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as こ, see Category:Japanese kanji read as こ.)

Etymology 4

Pronoun

こ • (ko) 

1. 此: (derogatory) you
2. 是: (humble) you

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *kə.

Pronoun

こ (ko₂)

1. this

Derived terms

• ここ (ko₂ko₂)
• この (ko₂no₂)
• これ (ko₂re)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Japonic *kə.

Noun

こ (ko₂)

1. (in compounds only) place

Derived terms

• ここ (ko₂ko₂)
• そこ (so₂ko₂)

Etymology 3

The reading of various spellings.

Noun

こ (ko₁)

1. 籠: basket
2. 子: child; a diminutive noun
3. 蚕: silkworm
4. 粉: flour

Prefix

こ (ko₁-)

1. 濃: deep
2. 小: small

Etymology 4

The reading of various spellings.

Noun

こ (ko₂)

1. 木: tree, wood