こそ in Japanese
こそ in Japanese is a particle that emphasizes the words that it follows. You can translate it into English as a number of different words but it has no direct translation. To understand more let’s take a look at some of the ways we can translate こそ.
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What does こそ mean
As I have stated already, there is not a direct translation but below are a few example sentences to show how we may say こそ in English. The bold words correspond to こそ in Japanese:
◆ This is the very thing (I wanted, was looking for, etc.)
◆ This is exactly what (I wanted, needed, was thinking about, etc.)
◆ This is the particular thing that (I wanted, needed, hoped for, etc.)
Again we sometimes need to be very loose on how we translate こそ since there is no exact word. Just like many other words in Japanese, the context will determine how we should translate it to English.
So, if you look back at the example sentences we can see a pattern. All of the expressions used to represent こそ emphasize something as being specific. I bring this up because there are lots of different terms in Japanese that you can look up and all it tells you is that the term is used for emphasis. The problem with that is that there is not just one kind of emphasis. Emphasis can mean emotionally emphasizing something, emphasizing something to compare it with something else, and the list goes on.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/こそ emphasizing things by saying they are precise, optimal, or specific. Using こそ is meant to bring attention to the item being emphasized and to say Look at me! I am exactly what you wanted!
This may be a little confusing now, but after we talk about how and when to use こそ it should make more sense.
How to use こそ
こそ is a Japanese particle and like all particles, it comes after other words. こそ specifically comes after nouns in most situations. But, it can also follow verbs in the て form or phrases ending in から.
こそ with Verbs
The following phrases tell you a reason for something and こそ emphasizes that reason.
日本語を勉強してこそ日本のことが分かるようになるのだ
You only understand Japan after studying Japanese
日本語を勉強したからこそ日本のことが分かるようになった
I came to understand Japan precisely because I studied Japanese
If we were to take こそ out of these sentences then studying Japanese would sound like only one possible way of understanding Japan. By having こそ added it has a nuance that learning Japanese is the only way or at least the best way to understand Japanese culture.
こそ with Nouns and other Particles
In Japanese often multiple particles will follow nouns and occupy the same position. こそ also can come after other particles. When is in the same position as が and を it will erase those two particles. If こそ follows に or へ then those two can optionally be deleted. All other particles will stay intact.
このコンピュータこそほしい
I want this particular computer
このコンピュータをジョンにこそ上げたい
I want to give this computer specifically to John
When to use こそ in Japanese
Just knowing that こそ emphasizes does not help us. Below are two of the main times when you will use こそ.
Things that are Optimal or Precise
Let’s pretend that you want to buy a computer. We have been looking for days online but are unable to find exactly what we want. We may then say to ourselves:
これこそというコンピュータはない
I have not found the right computer yet
But, if we keep on searching we are sure to eventually find one that meets all our needs.f
このコンピュータこそずっと探していた
This is the very computer I had been looking for
Ok, so we have two sentences with こそ. In both sentences こそ pretty much means the same thing. The actual sentences are different but こそ points out a situation where we want a certain computer that matches specific criteria. In the second sentence, こそ tells us that the computer that was found meets those specific criteria. In other words, it is the precise or optimal computer we were looking for.
Responding to People
こそ also commonly shows up as a way to respond to people. For example, you can use it to take someone’s question and flip it around, back at them.
太郎、今までどこで何をしていた？
Jiro, where and what have you been doing until now?
次郎こそ、何をしていた？
What about you Jiro, what have you been doing?
Jiro in the first sentence asks Taro what he was up to. In the second sentence, Taro evades Jiro’s questions and puts suspicion on Jiro. You could sum this usage up as the; Me? What about you? way of using こそ.
However, this is not the only way こそ responds to people. More commonly it is a polite way of saying, No thank you.
ありがとうございます。
Thank you
いいえ、こちらこそ。
No, I should be thanking you
