# Katachi



## Sharkster

Hi, 
We were looking at naming our Hair Salon "Katachi", can anyone that speaks Japanese comment on its suitability.
I have read that it means shape/structure/geometry which seems ideally suited to hair design.

Any comments would be greatly appreaciated

Thanks

Shark


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## Flaminius

Hello,

I am not sure if I can make any meaningful comment from an advertising viewpoint, but the semantic range of _katachi_ is not  very alien to your business.  The basic meanings, as you have noted above, are "shape," "form" and "figure".

In a few idiomatic expressions, _katachi_ means visage or countenance, though the sense is not so apparent when the word is presented by itself.  An older sense is the way one dresses.  All in all, it is safe to say that _katachi_ has some association with beauty industry.


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## Sharkster

Thank you for you comments Flaminius, they are exactly along the lines that I was hoping for.

I had some concerns that it may have a double meaning or that the translation was not correct.

As shape , form and geometry are fundamental to the skill of hair cutting this word seems ideal for us.

I notice that you used the word figure instead of geometry, am I off target when I say it means geometry?

Does anyone else also have comments ?


Thanks again
Sharkster


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## Hiro Sasaki

Sharkster said:


> Thank you for you comments Flaminius, they are exactly along the lines that I was hoping for.
> 
> I had some concerns that it may have a double meaning or that the translation was not correct.
> 
> As shape , form and geometry are fundamental to the skill of hair cutting this word seems ideal for us.
> 
> I notice that you used the word figure instead of geometry, am I off target when I say it means geometry?
> 
> Does anyone else also have comments ?
> 
> 
> Thanks again
> Sharkster


 
I don't think that "Katachi" (shape) is a appealing name at least for 
us. It can be a ugly shape or bautiful style or neural like a shape of
a tomato. 

Hiro Sasaki


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## Beejay

Hiro Sasaki said:


> I don't think that "Katachi" (shape) is a appealing name at least for
> us. It can be a ugly shape or bautiful style or neural like a shape of
> a tomato.
> 
> Hiro Sasaki



Though, outside of Japan, it will probably sound exotic. Anyway, salons (the ones I've seen anyway) seem to convey that their owners believe that beauty is an art, and when it comes to art, anything goes.


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## Hiro Sasaki

Beejay said:


> Though, outside of Japan, it will probably sound exotic. Anyway, salons (the ones I've seen anyway) seem to convey that their owners believe that beauty is an art, and when it comes to art, anything goes.


 
If any words which sound strange for us sound exotic, then 
"beauty salon Zen", "bauty salon geisha", "beauty salon Sayuri",
"beaty salon sakura", "Beauty Palace Kyoto ","beauty salon Keiko " ( Keiko was a name of my girlfriend many years ago ) , yes, anything will
goes.


Hiro Sasaki


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## Flaminius

Sharkster said:


> I had some concerns that it may have a double meaning or that the translation was not correct.


Neither is the case here.



> I notice that you used the word figure instead of geometry, am I off target when I say it means geometry?


Is what you mean by geometry a subdivision of mathematics?  Or is it a reference to shapes such as triangles, circles and rectangles?  The word _katachi_ implies neither.


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## Sharkster

Hiro Sasaki said:


> I don't think that "Katachi" (shape) is a appealing name at least for
> us. It can be a ugly shape or bautiful style or neural like a shape of
> a tomato.
> 
> Hiro Sasaki



Thanks, I have become concerned about that.

From the very limited amount of information I have found in English it appears to have a very broad meaning.
I think I may be off target with choosing such a word as a name, I thought at first that it had a definitive meaning that could be used in a scientific manner describing the skill of hair cutting. Which is all about angles and sections, but Its sounding like a bit of a stretch now to make it fit my needs 

Thanks again


Sharkster


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## Sharkster

Flaminius said:


> Neither is the case here.
> 
> 
> Is what you mean by geometry a subdivision of mathematics?  Or is it a reference to shapes such as triangles, circles and rectangles?  The word _katachi_ implies neither.



Hmmmm, If you see my last post,  I think you may have nailed it on the head here..


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## Flaminius

I feel I am correcting myself all the time but I'd like to correct my statement above.

_Katachi_ does not mean a subdivision of mathematics but it DOES refer to geometric shapes such as triangles, circles and rectangles.

I am sorry for the mix-up.


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## Sharkster

Thanks for your continued assistance Flaminius, I think I have a feel for the general meaning of the word now, I have also done some more research.

I believe that it can mean the way something looks, the way its is structured and formed and therefore its appearance, and it can also can mean visage?

I am thinking that its translated meaning in English is so broad that we could use it to describe what we do, ie shaping, forming, molding hair.

I understand that katachi is not such a scientific thing, but more artistic.

Thanks again
Sharkster


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## Hiro Sasaki

Sharkster said:


> Thanks for your continued assistance Flaminius, I think I have a feel for the general meaning of the word now, I have also done some more research.
> 
> I believe that it can mean the way something looks, the way its is structured and formed and therefore its appearance, and it can also can mean visage?
> 
> I am thinking that its translated meaning in English is so broad that we could use it to describe what we do, ie shaping, forming, molding hair.
> 
> I understand that katachi is not such a scientific thing, but more artistic.
> 
> Thanks again
> Sharkster


 

We say "Sugata " "Katachi"(both words combined )  of a person. "Sugata" has some poetic meaning and will no be used as a scientific word but it is referred to a body and not a shape of hair style.

Hiro Sasaki


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## Flaminius

> and it can also can mean visage?


I mentioned the visage sense in an attempt to outline the whole extent of the word.  Nowadays it seldom means visage by itself (though classic literature is replete with this usage) but it participates in idiomatic expressions like "sugata-katachi" (*Hiro Sasaki* _supra_ #12).  For reference it means "[whole-body] appearance and visage" or looks.  _Katachi_ in sense of visage usually assumes the visage is attractive.


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## Sharkster

Thanks for your help guys


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