Japanese word

漢字

Pronunciation

Romajikanji

Meaning

  • nounChinese character

Example

この漢字は何と読みますか？ko no kan ji wa nan to yo mi ma su ka

How do you read this Chinese character?

Illustration for 漢字 (Chinese character)

More examples

ノートに漢字を一つ書きます。nō to ni kan ji o hito tsu ka ki ma su

I write one Chinese character in my notebook.

わからない漢字は辞書で調べます。wa ka ra na i kan ji wa ji sho de shira be ma su

I look up kanji I do not know in a dictionary.

Core concept

漢字 (kanji) link the visible form of a Chinese-origin character with meaning and a reading in Japanese.

Common phrases

  • 漢字で書くkan ji de ka ku

    write in kanji

  • 漢字を読むkan ji o yo mu

    read kanji

  • 漢字の意味kan ji no i mi

    meaning of kanji

  • 漢字の読み方kan ji no yo mi kata

    how to read kanji

  • 漢字を調べるkan ji o shira be ru

    look up kanji

Definition in Japanese

中国から取り入れ、日本語の語句を書き表すために使う、意味を持つ文字。chū goku ka ra to ri i re nihon go no go ku o ka ki arawa su ta me ni tsuka u i mi o mo tsu moji

Word origin

The word 漢字 (kanji) consists of 漢 (kan, "Han Chinese") and 字 (ji, "character"), and the compound originally referred to characters associated with the Han Chinese.

Usage tips

  • Some Japanese words have the same pronunciation but different 漢字 (kanji), so the written characters help distinguish their meanings.

Word lists with this word