返事（へんじ、henji）
- reply

The Japanese word 返事 (へんじ) means "reply," "answer," or "response." It refers to the act of giving a verbal or written answer to a question, request, or other form of communication. It encompasses a wide range of responses, from a simple "yes" or "no" to a more detailed explanation or action. The word 返事 highlights the act of addressing or reacting to something that has been communicated to you.

⚫︎ 質問に返事する。 Translation: To answer a question. ⚫︎ メールに返事を書く。 Translation: To write a reply to an email. ⚫︎ 先生の呼びかけに返事をする。 Translation: To respond to the teacher's call.

⚫︎ Use 返事 when you are replying to something, whether it be a question, a request, an invitation, or any other form of communication. ⚫︎ It can be used in both formal and informal situations, though the specific wording of the 返事 may change depending on the level of formality. ⚫︎ Often used with verbs like する (to do/make), 書く (to write), or 出す (to send/give).

⚫︎ The word 返事 is typically written in kanji as 返事, but also can be written in hiragana as へんじ. ⚫︎ The okurigana (suffix hiragana) is standard and always written as 事. ⚫︎ There are no other common ways to write this word.

⚫︎ 答え (kotae) - answer, reply (more general than 返事) ⚫︎ 返答 (hentou) - reply, answer (formal)

⚫︎ 無言 (mugon) - silence, no response ⚫︎ 無視 (mushi) - ignoring, ignoring, disregard

田中さんは私のメールにすぐに返事をくれた。 ・Translation: Tanaka-san gave me a reply to my email immediately. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how 返事 is used to describe receiving a response.

すみません、あなたの質問にまだ返事していません。 ・Translation: I'm sorry, I haven't replied to your question yet. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the use of 返事 in a context where a reply is pending.

The word 返事 is a compound word. ⚫︎ 返 (hen) means "return," "reply," or "respond." ⚫︎ 事 (ji) means "thing," "matter," or "affair." Together, 返事 literally means "a returning thing" or "a returning matter," which evolved to mean "reply" or "answer."