Okurigana (送り仮名) Rules

Kanji carries the core meaning or 'soul' of the word. The Okurigana carries the 'action' or 'description.' In verbs, the Kanji is the root. The hiragana changes to show if you 'did' or 'will do' something. For adjectives, it shows the level or state. It is like a modular toy system. You keep the base and swap the parts. If Kanji is the car, Okurigana is the steering wheel. It directs the meaning where it needs to go. Without it, your 'car' just sits in the driveway. It helps you distinguish between 'to see' and 'to show.' It is the secret sauce of Japanese clarity. It ensures that the reader knows exactly which reading of a Kanji you intend to use. For example, the Kanji 生 has dozens of readings. Okurigana like きる or む tells you if it's 生きる (to live) or 生む (to give birth).

1. 1Start with the Kanji that represents the main idea.
2. 2Determine if you are writing a verb or an adjective.
3. 3For verbs, keep the stem in Kanji and add the ending kana.
4. 4For Godan verbs, usually only the last syllable is Hiragana (e.g., 書く).
5. 5For Ichidan verbs, the ru and the preceding syllable are often Hiragana (e.g., 食べる).
6. 6For i-adjectives, the i is always written in Hiragana (e.g., 高い).
7. 7When the word changes tense, only the Hiragana part changes.
8. 8The Kanji stays exactly the same throughout the conjugation.
9. 9For compound verbs, Okurigana often appears between the two Kanji.
10. 10Example: 書き込む (to write in) uses き as a bridge between 書 and 込.

You will use Okurigana in almost every sentence you write. It is the key to making verbs work. When you are ordering food, you might say これを食べてみたい. The べてみたい is all Okurigana helping the Kanji 食. In a business email, you might write ご確認をお願いします. While 確認 is a Kanji compound, the お and します act as the grammatical frame. It is also crucial for distinguishing transitive and intransitive verbs. Take 閉める (to close something) and 閉まる (something closes). The Kanji is the same. The Okurigana める and まる tell the whole story. Without them, your listener won't know if you are closing the door or if it is just windy! It is like wearing socks with shoes. You can technically go without, but it is going to be very uncomfortable for everyone involved.

Don't use it for most Kanjigo (Chinese-origin compounds). Words like 学生 (student) or 料理 (cooking) don't need it. They are self-contained units of meaning. Also, don't use it for na-adjectives when they stand alone. 綺麗 (beautiful) doesn't have a tail like 美しい does. Some nouns derived from verbs drop it too. It is like knowing when to wear a suit. Some occasions just don't require the extra flair. If you see two Kanji stuck together, they usually don't want Hiragana in the middle. They are like a closed club. No kana allowed! This is the 'grammar traffic light' turning red. If you try to force kana into 勉強, it just breaks the word.

A classic mistake is 'over-kana-ing.' People sometimes write 食べる as たべる or forget the べ. Another big one is the i in adjectives. Writing 美味し instead of 美味しい is a common slip. Some people forget that Okurigana changes with the tense. Writing 高いかった instead of 高かった happens more than you would think. It is like putting two hats on one head. One 'ka' is enough! Also, watch out for transitive pairs. Writing ドアを閉まる instead of 閉める is a major red flag. It makes it sound like the door is closing you! Don't sweat the tiny details too much yet. Just remember: if it conjugates, it probably needs Okurigana.

Don't confuse Okurigana with Furigana. Furigana sits on top of Kanji to show pronunciation. Okurigana sits next to Kanji as part of the word. Furigana is a reading aid for kids or rare words. Okurigana is a mandatory part of the Japanese writing system. One is a helper; the other is a team member. Think of Furigana as subtitles and Okurigana as the actual script. Also, don't confuse it with particles like は or を. Particles connect words. Okurigana is part of the word itself. If the word was a person, Okurigana would be their arms and legs, while particles would be the phone they use to call a friend.