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Definition 2024


U+305A, ず
HIRAGANA LETTER ZU
Composition: [U+3059] + [U+3099]

[U+3059]
Hiragana
[U+305B]
See also:

Japanese

Stroke order

Syllable

(romaji zu)

  1. The hiragana syllable (zu). Its equivalent in katakana is (zu).
See also

Etymology 2

From Old Japanese. Generally considered to be a combination of negation suffix (nu) in its 連用形 (ren'yōkei, continuative or stem form) of (ni) + honorific suffix (su).[1][2][3]

/nisu/*/nzu//zu/

Appears both as zu and as the older nisu form in the Man'yōshū poetry anthology.

Suffix

(romaji -zu)

  1. not
     (なに) ()
    nani mo shirazu
    not knowing anything
Usage notes

Much as the older negation suffix (nu) and the modern negation suffix ない (nai), (zu) must come after the 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis or incomplete form) of a verb.

The suffix (zu) is more formal than the everyday negation suffix ない (nai).

Etymology 3

The reading for various kanji.

Noun

(romaji zu)

  1. : diagram, figure, illustration
  2. : imprisonment for one to three years
  3. : head

Verb

(nidan conjugation, romaji zu)

  1. : (obsolete) come out

References

  1. 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
  3. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-501211-0