Meaning
The kanji 濁 (daku, nigo.ru) carries the core meanings of turbidity, muddiness, and impurity. It refers to a state of being unclear, cloudy, or not pristine. While often applied to liquids like water, its meaning also extends metaphorically to sounds or moral states.
When water is no longer transparent, but instead filled with sediment or foreign particles, it is described as 濁. In linguistics, it specifically denotes a voiced sound (濁音, dakuon), contrasting with clear, unvoiced sounds.
The character is composed of the radical 氵 (sanzui), a variant of 水 (mizu, water). This clearly indicates its primary association with liquids and their state. The right-hand component, 蜀 (shoku), serves as the phonetic element, giving the character its "daku" reading. Historically, 蜀 carried connotations of swirling, writhing, or a dense, entangled state. This visually and semantically reinforces the idea of something murky or opaque. Imagine water so disturbed and filled with particles that it loses its clarity. This visual connection between "water" and the "swirling/dense" phonetic element perfectly captures the essence of turbidity.
The kanji 濁 has 12 strokes. While not part of the standard elementary school grades (Grade 1-6), it is designated as an N1 level kanji, making it an advanced Jouyou kanji.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The primary On'yomi reading for 濁 is ダク (DAKU). Derived from Chinese, this reading is frequently found in compound words, especially in more formal or technical contexts like linguistics.
- 濁音 (dakuon) — This term literally means "turbid sound" and refers to voiced consonants in Japanese, marked by a dakuten (ﾞ). Examples include が (ga), じ (ji), ぶ (bu).
- 清濁 (seidaku) — Meaning "purity and impurity" or, in phonetics, "voiced and unvoiced sounds." This compound highlights the contrast between clear (清) and turbid (濁) states.
- 混濁 (kondaku) — This compound means "turbidity," "muddiness," or "cloudiness," often describing liquids that are not clear.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The Kun'yomi readings are native Japanese words that convey the kanji's meaning. For 濁, there are two primary readings:
にご.る (nigo.ru) — This is an intransitive verb meaning "to become turbid," "to get muddy," "to become impure," or "to become hoarse (of a voice)." It describes a state where something loses its clarity or purity on its own.
水が濁る (mizu ga nigoru) — The water becomes turbid/muddy.
声が濁る (koe ga nigoru) — The voice becomes hoarse/unclear.
空気が濁る (kūki ga nigoru) — The air becomes stale/polluted.
にご.す (nigo.su) — This is a transitive verb meaning "to make turbid," "to muddy," "to make impure," or "to equivocate/be ambiguous (in speech)." It implies an action taken by someone or something that causes turbidity or unclearness.
水を濁す (mizu o nigosu) — To muddy the water.
言葉を濁す (kotoba o nigosu) — To equivocate, to speak ambiguously or vaguely.
池を濁す (ike o nigosu) — To make the pond turbid.
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 濁 appears in various common Japanese words, frequently describing states of impurity, unclear liquids, or linguistic concepts.
Water and Purity-Related:
濁流 (dakuryū) — A muddy stream or turbid current. This term vividly describes a river or current filled with sediment, often after heavy rains.
濁水 (dakusui) — Turbid water; muddy water. It refers specifically to water that is not clear or clean.
混濁 (kondaku) — Turbidity; muddiness; cloudiness. This noun describes the state of being unclear, often used for liquids, air, or even consciousness.
濁り (nigori) — Muddiness; impurity; turbidness. This is the nominal form of にごる, referring to the state or quality of being turbid. It can also refer to the sediment itself.
Sound and Linguistics-Related:
濁音 (dakuon) — A voiced consonant. In Japanese phonetics, these are consonants pronounced with vibration of the vocal cords, indicated by a dakuten (ﾞ).
半濁音 (handakuon) — A semi-voiced consonant. These are specifically the Japanese 'p' sounds (ぱ, ぴ, ぷ, ぺ, ぽ) which are marked by a handakuten (ﾟ).
清濁 (seidaku) — Purity and impurity; voiced and unvoiced sounds. This dichotomy is fundamental in Japanese phonology.
濁点 (dakuten) — The voicemark (ﾞ), a diacritic that indicates a consonant should be voiced. Also known as ten-ten.
Figurative and Other Uses:
濁世 (dakuse) — A corrupt world; a degenerate age. This is often used in Buddhist contexts to describe an era of moral decay and impurity.
言葉を濁す (kotoba o nigosu) — An idiomatic expression meaning "to equivocate," "to speak ambiguously," or "to beat around the bush." It implies deliberately making one's speech unclear.
目の濁り (me no nigori) — Clouding of the eyes, such as a cataract. This refers to the physical impurity or unclearness within the eye itself.
Example Sentences
川の水が濁って、魚が見えません。
Kawa no mizu ga nigotte, sakana ga miemasen.
The river water is muddy, so I can't see the fish.
彼は質問に対して、言葉を濁した。
Kare wa shitsumon ni taishite, kotoba o nigoshita.
He equivocated in response to the question.
長話をしたせいで、私の声が濁ってきた。
Nagabanashi o shita sei de, watashi no koe ga nigotte kita.
Because I talked for a long time, my voice has become hoarse.
この池は誰かが水を濁したようだ。
Kono ike wa dareka ga mizu o nigoshita yō da.
It seems someone has muddied the water in this pond.
混濁した空気の中で、皆が咳込んだ。
Kondaku shita kūki no naka de, mina ga sekikonda.
Everyone coughed in the polluted air.
日本語の濁音と清音の違いを理解するのは重要です。
Nihongo no dakuon to seion no chigai o rikai suru no wa jūyō desu.
It is important to understand the difference between voiced and unvoiced sounds in Japanese.
大雨の後、山から濁流が流れ出した。
Ōame no ato, yama kara dakuryū ga nagaredashita.
After the heavy rain, a muddy stream flowed out from the mountain.
濁りのない澄んだ心を持つ人は美しい。
Nigori no nai sunda kokoro o motsu hito wa utsukushii.
A person with a clear, untainted heart is beautiful.
古い思想が新しい時代の精神を濁らせている。
Furui shisō ga atarashii jidai no seishin o nigorasete iru.
Old ideologies are clouding the spirit of the new era.
Memory Tip
To remember the kanji 濁, consider its two main components: the "water" radical (氵) on the left and the phonetic component 蜀 on the right. Imagine a peaceful body of water (氵). Now, picture a swarm of mythical, snake-like creatures or worms (as depicted in the ancient form of 蜀) wriggling and stirring up the bottom. This action turns the once clear water completely turbid or muddy. The 'shoku' sound of 蜀 can also be associated with "shaking" or "stirring" the water, causing it to become unclear. Thus, "water that has been stirred up like a swarm of 'worms' is now turbid." This vivid image directly connects the meaning to the kanji's visual elements, helping you recall both its significance and its primary link to water.