A Study of the Formation of Two-Character Kanji Compound Words in Japanese Business Vocabulary

Abstract

This study aims to 1) compile 100 high-frequency two-character kanji compound words from the Japanese business vocabulary using language corpora, and 2) analyze the formation of these compounds based on their readings and meanings.  The results showed that 1) the two-character kanji compounds can be categorized into three groups based on their readings: 95 compounds with on’yomi (Chinese reading), 4 compounds with kun’yomi (Japanese reading), and 1 compound with a combination of on’yomi and kun’yomi.  No compound with a combination of kun’yomi followed by on’yomi was found.  Additionally, 2) the construction methods of the two-character kanji compounds, based on their semantic relationships, can be classified into four patterns: 53 compounds where the first character modifies the second character, 34 compounds where both characters share similar meanings, 8 compounds where the second character serves as the object or complement of the first, and 5 compounds where the first character acts as the subject and the second as the predicate.  No compound with opposing meanings between the characters was found.  The findings of this study can provide a useful guide for understanding kanji compound formation and readings, which can help improve communication skills and the translation of business documents.