| term | pronunciation | English |
|---|
| 元 | もと | origin, originally; ex- |
| 元々 | もともと | from the outset, all along, by nature |
| 元手 | もとで | capital, funds, assets |
| 元日 | がんじつ | New Year's Day |
| 元旦 | がんたん | New Year's Day |
| 元気 | げんき | happy, healthy, jolly, cheerful |
| 元気のな | げんきのない | depressed; low-spirited; cheerless |
| 元祖 | がんそ | founder; originator, forerunner |
| 足元に | あしもとに | at one's feet |
| 元首 | げんしゅ | head of state |
| 元首相 | もとしゅしょう | the former Prime Minister |
| 元の木阿弥 | もとのもくあみ | ending up right back where one started |
| 元を糾す | もとをただす | to go to the bottom of an affair, to inquire into the origin |
| 元亨 | げんこう | Genkou era (1321.2.23-1324.12.9) |
| 元凶 | がんきょう, げんきょう | ringleader, main culprit; main cause, source |
| 元帥 | げんすい | (field) marshal, (fleet) admiral, general of the army |
| 元帥府 | げんすいふ | Supreme Military Council (1898-1945) |
| 元帳 | もとちょう | ledger |
| 元年 | がんねん | first year (of a specific reign) |
| 元栓 | もとせん | stopcock (gas, water) |
| 元気旺盛 | げんきおうせい | brimming with vitality, full of vigor, full of life |
| 元禄 | げんろく | Genroku era (1688.9.30-1704.3.13) |
| 地元 | じもと | home area, home town; local |
| 大元帥 | だいげんすい | commander-in-chief, generalissimo |
| 復元 | ふくげん | restoration (to original state), reconstruction |
| 次元 | じげん | dimension; perspective, point of reference, level (of something) |
| 窯元 | かまもと | pottery |
| 紀元 | きげん | era; AD (Christian era) |
| 紀元前 | きげんぜん | pre-era, BC, BCE |
| 耳元 | みみもと | close to the ear |
| 胸元 | むなもと | breast, pit of stomach |
| 襟元 | えりもと | front of neck, collar |
| 足元 | あしもと, そっか | at one's feet; gait; you, thou |
| 身元 | みもと | person's identity, ID, past, background |
| 還元 | かんげん | resolution, reduction, return to origins |