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JLPT N3 · Noun

元 (moto)

元 (もと, moto) is a Japanese noun meaning “origin; source”. It appears in JLPT N3 vocabulary lists and is marked as a common word in JMdict.

Reading
もと
Romaji
moto
Word class
Noun
Level
JLPT N3 (unofficial)

Meaning

  1. origin; source; beginning · noun · esp. 元
  2. basis; base; foundation; root · noun · oft. 基
  3. cause · noun · also written as 因, 原
  4. (raw) material; ingredient; base; mix (e.g. for a cake); (soup) stock · noun · esp. 素
  5. (one's) side · noun

Example sentences

憲政の危機が始まったのは、このような状況のもとであった。
It was under these circumstances that the constitutional crisis began.
Tatoeba #175389
やってしまったことは元に戻らない。
What is done cannot be undone.
Tatoeba #193096
私たちは人をその人の人格を基に判断しようと考えるかもしれないが、それらは一見したところでははっきりわからないものである。
Although we may intend to judge a person on the basis of his or her personal qualities, they are not visible at first sight.
Tatoeba #165582

Sentences from the Tatoeba project, linked to this word in JMdict.

Kanji in 元

元
beginning, former time, originゲン・ガン・もと · 4 strokes

Related words

Other vocabulary sharing a kanji with 元.

元気げんきlively足元あしもとat one's feet元日がんじつNew Year's Day元々もともとoriginally元首げんしゅsovereign元素げんそelement還元かんげんrestoration元年がんねんfirst year (of an imperial era)元来がんらいoriginally手元てもとat hand地元じもとhome area

Source: JMdict entry 1260670 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0). Level: unofficial JLPT list – how levels are assigned.