Meaning and Usage
"英語" (えいご) means "English language." It is used to refer to the English language itself, whether spoken, written, or studied.
Common Contexts
You will often see "英語" in contexts related to learning, speaking, or reading English. For example, "英語を勉強する" means "to study English," and "英語で話す" means "to speak in English."
Collocations and Patterns
- 英語を勉強する: to study English
- 英語で話す: to speak in English
- 英語の本: English book
These collocations are very common in daily conversation and language learning contexts.
Register and Politeness
"英語" is a neutral noun and can be used in both formal and informal situations without change.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "英語" with "英会話" (えいかいわ), which specifically means "English conversation." Remember that "英語" refers to the language in general, not just conversation.