キャラクター

Japanese

Alternative forms

• (shortening) キャラ (kyara)

Etymology

Borrowed from English character.

First attested in 1875.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) キャ​ラクター [kyáꜜràkùtàà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• (Tokyo) キャラ​クター [kyàráꜜkùtàà] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [kʲa̠ɾa̠kɯ̟̊ᵝta̠ː]

Noun

キャラクター • (kyarakutā) 

1. character, a fictitious person or creature

   Synonym: 登場人物 (tōjō jinbutsu, literally “appearing person”, as in “appearing in this story”)

   • 2013 [2012], Sorachi, Hideaki, “第(だい)四(よん)百(ひゃく)十(じゅう)四(よん)訓(くん)　愚(おろ)か者(もの)‼ [Lesson 414: Imbeciles!!]”, in 銀(ぎん)魂(たま) [Silver Soul], volume 47 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha:

     そうか　お前(まえ)達(たち)も気(き)づいていたか　この漫(まん)画(が)マゲのヅラをかぶったらほとんどのキャラがほぼ皆(みな)同(おな)じ顔(かお)になる事(こと)を

     Sō ka Omae-tachi mo kizuite ita ka Kono manga mage no zura o kabuttara hotondo no kyara ga hobo mina onaji kao ni naru koto o

     I see. So you all realized it, too. If you put on this topknot wig then pretty much all the characters in this manga look the same.

2. personality

   Synonym: 性格 (seikaku)

   漫(まん)画(が)みたいにキャラが立(た)ってる

   manga mitai ni kyara ga tatteru

   having a distinct personality, as if they were a comic book character

   […] をするのは田(た)中(なか)さんのキャラじゃない

   […] o suru no wa Tanaka-san no kyara ja nai

   doing […] is unlike Tanaka (is not Tanaka's personality; is out of character for Tanaka)

Derived terms

• 陰(いん)キャ (inkya)