滑舌

Japanese

Kanji in this term
滑	舌
かつ Grade: S	ぜつ Grade: 6
on’yomi

Alternative forms

• 活舌

Etymology

*/kwatu zetu/ → /kwat͡su zet͡su/ → /kat͡su zet͡su/

Possibly from Middle Chinese compound 滑舌 (hwɛt + zyet, literally “slippery, smooth + tongue”).

Alternatively, may have been coined in Japan of Middle Chinese-derived elements, as a compound of 滑 (katsu, “smooth”) +‎ 舌 (zetsu, “tongue”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かつぜつ [kàtsúzétsú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠t͡sɨᵝze̞t͡sɨᵝ]

Noun

滑(かつ)舌(ぜつ) • (katsuzetsu) ^{←くわつぜつ (kwatuzetu)?}

1. enunciation

   主人公(しゅじんこう)の俳優(はいゆう)は滑舌(かつぜつ)が悪(わる)くて、台詞(せりふ)があまり聞(き)き取(と)れなかったね。

   Shujinkō no haiyū wa katsuzetsu ga warukute, serifu ga amari kikitorenakatta ne.

   The actor playing the lead character had bad enunciation, and I couldn't quite hear his lines.

Usage notes

Generally used to describe the speech of a stage actor or television presenter.