Classical Japanese vs modern Japanese

You might think Japanese is just one language, but there’s actually a big difference between classical Japanese (文語 bungo) and modern Japanese (口語 kōgo). 

Classical Japanese was used hundreds of years ago in poems, books, and even love letters. While modern Japanese is what you hear today, traces of the old language still show up in art, literature, and traditions.

Let’s learn a bit about it!

📜 What is classical Japanese

Classical Japanese was the standard written and spoken form from the 8th to the 19th century. It has unique grammar, old words, and different verb endings. Think of it like Shakespearean English, elegant but tricky to understand!

🗣️ Major differences

• Grammar: classical Japanese used different verb conjugations and fewer particles
• Vocabulary: some words changed meaning or disappeared completely
• Pronunciation: a few sounds shifted over time, especially in vowels

📖  Famous phrases from classical Japanese

Here are a couple of timeless lines that still appear in Japanese culture today:

1. いづれの御時（おんとき）にか、女御（にょうご）、更衣（こうい）あまた候（さぶら）ひける中に
   Izure no ontoki ni ka, nyōgo, kōi amata saburai keru naka ni
   Modern Japanese: いつの時代にか、たくさんの女御や更衣が仕えていた。
   English: “In which reign was it, that so many ladies and attendants served at court?”
   (Opening line from The Tale of Genji, one of Japan’s most famous literary works.)
2. 名にし負（お）はば　逢坂山（あふさかやま）の　さねかづら　人に知られで　くるよしもがな
   Nani shi owaba / Ōsaka yama no / sanekazura / hito ni shirarede / kuru yoshi mo gana
   Modern Japanese: もし名前の通りなら、逢坂山のさねかずらのように、人に知られずあなたのもとへ行く方法があればいいのに。
   English: “If my name truly matches the mountain of meeting, I wish there were a way to come to you unseen, like the vine of Sanekazura.”
   (A love poem from Ise Monogatari , full of longing and hidden passion, typical of classical court poetry.)

🌸 4. Modern Japanese and classical echoes

Even now, traces of classical Japanese survive in:
👉 Poetry: traditional tanka and haiku sometimes keep classical grammar
👉 Shinto ceremonies: priests chant in old-style Japanese
👉 Formal writing and names: used to sound elegant or timeless

Your Sensei,
Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫