What does suka in japanese mean?
Souka or soka (そうか) is a casual Japanese phrase that means “I see” or “is that so?”. It can therefore function as either a statement or a (usually rhetorical) question. A neutral pronunciation makes souka a statement whereas stressing the “sou” part makes it a question. The polite version of this is sou desu ka (そうですか).
Since the question form of souka is often rhetorical, it doesn’t require an answer. In this sense, souka sometimes functions as an aizuchi (相槌) word that simply shows that you’re listening to the other person.
Interestingly enough, the sou in souka has the same meaning as so in English, but sou originates from the Japanese word 然う(そう). We can therefore state that this is just a coincidence, but it should hopefully help you to remember the phrase.
Below, we take a look at some examples of the various ways you can use souka in Japanese.
To make it easier for you, I have written each sentence in full Japanese kanji on the first line, followed by roman letters (romaji), and hiragana, with the English meaning coming last. I have also highlighted the new phrase in bold.
Yappari souka means it was true after all or I knew it. This is a pretty useful phrase to know so I recommend noting it down.
Sometimes, Japanese speakers might say souka souka, which essentially means the same thing as souka. It simply shows they have understood what was said.
For a situation that is a little bit negative or disappointing, you can draw out the “ka” in souka to make it sound more like soukaaaa. English equivalents might be something like oh darn it or shucks. If you want to look really Japanese, try looking down at the floor while saying this!
suka
Inherited from Proto-Philippine *suka₂ (“to vomit”). Cognate with Tagalog suka, Cebuano suka, and Tausug suka.
súka
Borrowing ultimately from Sanskrit चुक्रा (cukrā, “tamarind tree”), possibly through Malay cuka (“soured wine, vinegar”). Cognate with Ilocano suka and Maranao soka'.
sukà
From Proto-Philippine *suka.
suka
suka
Borrowing ultimately from Sanskrit चुक्रा (cukrā, “tamarind tree”), possibly through Malay cuka (“soured wine, vinegar”).[1]First attested in Antonio Pigafetta's Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo—detailing the first circumnavigation of the world between 1519 and 1522.
suka
suka
From English sugar.
suka
From Proto-Finnic *suka, from Proto-Finno-Permic *śuka, borrowed from Proto-Indo-Iranian [Term?] (compare Sanskrit शूक (śūka, “awn (of grain)”)). Alternative theory suggests more recent borrowing from Baltic (compare Latvian suka). Cognate with Kildin Sami чоагкь (čågk’), Erzya сюва (śuva).
suka
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).
suka (plural sukaaɓe ɓe)
Ultimately borrowed from Sanskrit चुक्रा (cukrā, “tamarind tree”), possibly through Malay cuka (“soured wine, vinegar”). Cognate with Bikol Central suka, Cebuano suka, Tagalog suka, Maranao soka', Pangasinan tuka, and Tausug sukaꞌ.
suká
From Malay suka, from Sanskrit सुख (sukha, “joy”).
suka (first-person possessive sukaku, second-person possessive sukamu, third-person possessive sukanya)
suka (base-imperative suka, active menyukai, ordinary passive disukai)
From Proto-Finnic *suka. Cognates include Finnish suka and Estonian suga.
suka
suka
There are competing theories on the origin of this word. The first (and more probable) one assumes that it comes from Proto-Indo-European *suH- (“pig”) > derived form *suk- “pig” (masc., fem.), “coarse hair, bristle” (neut.). Originally suka was the neuter plural form, but it became feminine singular after the general loss of the neuter gender, with semantic change “bristles” > “brush” (compare German Bürste (“brush”), Borste (“bristle”)). Borrowings by Finnic languages from Baltic languages support this evolution (e.g., Finnish suka (“pig bristle (archaic), currycomb”)). The second theory considers suka cognate to Lithuanian šùkos (“brush”), Russian щётка (ščótka, “brush”), Sanskrit शूक (śūka, “needle”), all from Proto-Indo-European *ḱū- (“pointed”). A third theory attributes these words to Proto-Indo-European *kes-, *ks- (“to cut, to carve”).[1]
suka f (4th declension)
From Russian сука (suka).
suka f (4th declension)
From Sanskrit सुख (sukha, “joy”).
suka (Jawi spelling سوک)
suka (Jawi spelling سوک, plural suka-suka, informal 1st possessive sukaku, 2nd possessive sukamu, 3rd possessive sukanya)
Compare Sanskrit शुक (śuka).
suka m
Pali Text Society (1921-1925), “suka”, in Pali-English Dictionary, London: Chipstead Childers, Robert Caesar, Dictionary of the Päli language, London: Trübner & Company, 1875, page 488.
-suka
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sùka, further etymology unclear.
Sense #3 from an association with pies (“dog, slang: cop”).
suka f (diminutive suczka)
suka
Not to be confused with suk'a, sukha.
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sùka, further etymology unclear.
suka f (genitive singular suky, nominative plural suky, genitive plural súk, declension pattern of žena)
-suka (infinitive kusuka)
-suka
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
From Proto-Philippine *suka (“to vomit”). Compare Bikol Central suka, Cebuano suka, Hiligaynon suka, Kapampangan suka, Tausug suka, and Waray-Waray suka.
suka
Ultimately borrowed from Sanskrit चुक्रा (cukrā, “tamarind tree”), possibly through Malay cuka (“soured wine, vinegar”). Cognate with Bikol Central suka, Cebuano suka, Ilocano suka, Maranao soka', Pangasinan tuka, and Tausug suka'.
sukà
suka
From Malay suka, from Sanskrit सुख (sukha). The noun may derive from N- (“nominalizer”) + suka, which produces no change on the initial consonant s.
suka
suka
suka
From Proto-Finnic *suka.
suka
Borrowed from English sugar.
suka
sukà
From Malay suka, possibly through Ternate, from Sanskrit सुख (sukha).
suka
As a modal verb, it does not appear to be conjugated.
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
-súka
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Possibly from Proto-Bantu *-tíga (“to leave behind”) with the separative suffix *-ʊka, however the tonal change is unexplained. (Note that although this verb is a low toned verb, it is sometimes treated as high toned in the imperative form.) This would make the term related to -sala and -shiya.
-suka
