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Definition 2024


U+30BD, ソ
KATAKANA LETTER SO

[U+30BC]
Katakana
[U+30BE]
See also: , , and

Ainu

Noun

(so)

  1. waterfall, cascade

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [so̞]

Etymology

Simplified in the Heian period from the man'yōgana kanji .

Syllable

(romaji so)

  1. The katakana syllable (so). Its equivalent in hiragana is (so). It is the fifteenth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is (sa-gyō o-dan, row sa, section o).

Usage notes

Unlike the hiragana system, used for Japanese language words that kanji does not cover, the katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of loan words (collectively gairaigo), as well as to represent onomatopoeia, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. [edit]

See also