形

Readings

• Go-on: ぎょう (gyō, Jōyō)^{←ぎやう (gyau, historical)}
• Kan-on: けい (kei, Jōyō)
• Kun: かた (kata, 形, Jōyō)、かたち (katachi, 形, Jōyō)、かたぎ (katagi)、なり (nari, 形)
• Nanori: ち (chi)

Compounds

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かた [kàtáꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ta̠]

Noun

形(かた) • (kata) 

1. [from 720] a shape
2. [from 720] a form
3. [from 1007] a pattern, die, or model from which copies are made
4. [from roughly 1300s] collateral for borrowed money
5. [from 1775] on a coin, the side with writing on it

   Antonym: 縵面 (name)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) がた [gàtáꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[3]
• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠ta̠]

Noun

形(がた) or 形(がだ) • (gata or gada) 

1. [from 1820] (kabuki, theater) Short for 女形 (onnagata), a female role played by a male actor in kabuki theater

   Synonyms: 女形 (onnagata), お山 (oyama)

Suffix

形(がた) • (-gata) 

1. (affixed to nouns): the shape or form of the affixed noun

   渦(うず)巻(ま)き形(がた)

   uzumakigata

   a whirlpool shape

   卵(たまご)形(がた)

   tamagogata

   an egg shape

2. (affixed to on'yomi nouns): a typical example of the affixed noun; the type of the affixed noun

   学(がく)者(しゃ)形(がた)

   gakushagata

   a scholar type

   英(えい)雄(ゆう)形(がた)

   eiyūgata

   a hero type

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かたち [kàtáchí] (Heiban – [0])^[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ta̠t͡ɕi]

Noun

形(かたち) • (katachi) 

1. [from 720] shape or form
2. [from late 900s] shapeliness: see 形有り (katachiari)
3. [from 1688] form, as opposed to substance

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ke̞ː]

Suffix

形(けい) • (-kei) 

1. (linguistics) grammatical tense

   過(か)去(こ)形(けい)

   kakokei

   the past tense

   将(しょう)来(らい)形(けい)

   shōraikei

   the future tense

2. (Japanese grammar) a conjugation form of a verb

   連(れん)用(よう)形(けい)

   ren'yōkei

   the continuative form

   命(めい)令(れい)形(けい)

   meireikei

   the imperative or command form

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) なり [nàríꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[3]
• IPA^(key): [na̠ɾʲi]

Usage notes

• The most common spelling for this use is なり, for all parts of speech.

Noun

形(なり) • (nari) 

1. [from 720] the shape or form of something
2. [from late 900s] one's clothing and appearance
3. [from mid 1600s] one's body shape or form
4. [from 1477] one's circumstances or situation
5. [from 1773] one's reputation
6. [from 1763] (following the plain imperfective form (attributive form, 連体形 (rentaikei)) or plain perfective form of a verb) indicates the state of the affixed verb or phrase: compare English just as

   人(ひと)々(びと)の言(い)うなりになった

   hitobito no iu nari ni natta

   things turned out just as people were saying

7. [from 1915] (following the plain imperfective form (attributive form, 連体形 (rentaikei)) of an adjective) indicates responding to the affixed adjective: compare English fitting

   寒(さむ)ければ寒(さむ)いなりの厚(あつ)着(ぎ)をする

   samukereba samui nari no atsugi o suru

   if it's cold, then put on warm clothing / if it's cold, then put on warm clothes for cold weather

8. [from 1928] (following the plain imperfective form (attributive form, 連体形 (rentaikei)) of a verb) indicates the moment of the action occurring: compare English as soon as

   Synonym: や否や (ya ina ya)

   断(ことわ)りを聞(き)くなり泣(な)き出(だ)した

   kotowari o kiku nari nakidashita

   she burst into tears as soon as she heard the rejection

   幼(よう)稚(ち)園(えん)から帰(かえ)るなり、母(はは)に抱(だ)きついてきました。

   Yōchien kara kaeru nari, haha ni dakitsuite kimashita.

   As soon as she returned from kindergarten, she clung to her mom.

9. (after a verb in the past tense 〜た) ... while ...

   Synonym: 儘 (mama)

   着(き)たなり脱(ぬ)ごうとしません

   kita nari nugō to shimasen

   [it's so comfortable that] She doesn't want to take it off while wearing it

Suffix

形(なり) • (-nari) 

1. following the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of a verb, indicates the state of the affixed verb or phrase: compare English just as

   人(ひと)々(びと)が言(い)いなりになった

   hitobito ga iinari ni natta

   things turned out just as people say

2. [from 1951] following a noun, indicates a state fitting or becoming to the affixed noun

   子(こ)供(ども)なりに想(そう)像(ぞう)する

   kodomo nari ni sōzō suru

   imagine in a way fitting for a child / imagine like a child (implies that the subject is a child)

   自(じ)分(ぶん)なりの判(はん)断(だん)

   jibun nari no handan

   my own kind of decision / deciding in my own way

3. [from late 1300s] following a noun, indicates that shape or form: compare English like

   弓(ゆみ)なりになる

   yumi nari ni naru

   to become bow-shaped / to become like a bow

Compounds