Word Detail

The Japanese word 終わり （おわり - *owari*） primarily means "end," "finish," or "conclusion." It signifies the point at which something ceases to exist, happen, or continue. This can apply to a variety of situations, such as the end of a task, a relationship, a period of time, or an event. The meaning can vary slightly depending on context, but the core concept remains the same. The word suggests finality and the cessation of something. It is a noun.

⚫︎授業の[終わり] ・Translation: The end of the class. ⚫︎映画は[終わり]ました ・Translation: The movie ended. ⚫︎プロジェクトの[終わり]が見えない ・Translation: I can't see the end of the project.

終わり is a very common word, used in many different contexts. ⚫︎It is typically used to talk about things reaching their conclusion. ⚫︎ It can be a formal or informal word depending on the context. ⚫︎ It can be used by itself as a noun, or it can be combined with verbs. ⚫︎ It can also be used as part of a verb phrase like 終わる (*owaru*) which means "to end" or "to finish".

⚫︎The word 終わり is most commonly written with the kanji 終わり. ⚫︎ It can also be written in hiragana as おわり. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is usually "り" when using the word alone. ⚫︎ The okurigana changes when used with verbs. For example: 終わる.

⚫︎終り (*owari*) - Same meaning as 終わり. This is another kanji version. ⚫︎終了（しゅうりょう - *shūryō*）- Completion, end. More formal. ⚫︎最後（さいご - *saigo*）- Last, end. ⚫︎果て（はて - *hate*）- End, limit (often used for the end of a long journey or process).

⚫︎始まり（はじまり - *hajimari*）- Beginning, start. ⚫︎開始（かいし - *kaishi*）- Start, commencement (more formal). ⚫︎最初（さいしょ - *saisho*）- First, beginning.

会議はまもなく[終わり]ます。 ・Translation: The meeting will end soon. ・Explanation: This sentence uses [終わり]ます, which is the polite form of the verb 終わる, showing that the meeting is coming to its conclusion.

この物語は悲しい[終わり]を迎える。 ・Translation: This story meets with a sad ending. ・Explanation: Here, [終わり] is used to describe the type of ending the story has.

The kanji 終 ( *owar* or *tsu* - pronounced in different ways) means "end," "finish," or "completion." The kanji りis a particle in this case, forming the noun. The word's origins are rooted in the concept of something reaching its final state or the completion of a process.