noun, noun, used as a suffix, counter
Used as a standalone noun in linguistic or dictionary contexts, and very commonly as a suffix in compounds such as 専門語, 外来語, and 新語. It can also count words, especially in set or formal expressions.
この語の意味を辞書で調べた。
I looked up the meaning of this word in a dictionary.
専門語が多くて、説明が分かりにくい。
There are many technical terms, so the explanation is hard to understand.
彼は一語一句を正確に覚えていた。
He remembered every single word exactly.
noun, noun, used as a suffix
language; speech; mode of expression
Commonly used as a suffix naming a language, as in 日本語 and 英語. It also appears in words for kinds of speech or expression, such as 口語 and 文語; the broader standalone sense 'speech' is more limited and often technical or compound-based.
日本語で説明してください。
Please explain it in Japanese.
彼女は英語と中国語を勉強している。
She is studying English and Chinese.
この表現は文語ではなく口語でよく使われる。
This expression is often used in colloquial speech, not literary style.
More everyday and broader than 語; it can mean words, language, speech, or phrasing in ordinary conversation.
Specifically means an individual vocabulary word, especially in study or grammar contexts; 語 is shorter and often used as a suffix or technical term.
A more formal word for language as a system or human faculty; 語 often names a particular language as a suffix, such as 日本語.
Sino-Japanese reading ご of the kanji 語. The spelling is conventionally associated with words, speech, and language; no more specific historical derivation is asserted here.