元
元 — Beginning
beginning, former time, origin
On’yomiゲン (gen)
On’yomiガン (gan)
Kun’yomiもと (moto)
Stroke order (4 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 元
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 地元 | じもと jimoto | home area; home town; local |
| 元 | もと moto | origin; source; beginning |
| 元首 | げんしゅ genshu | sovereign; ruler; head of state |
| 元気 | げんき genki | lively; full of spirit; energetic |
| 元日 | がんじつ ganjitsu | New Year's Day |
| 身元 | みもと mimoto | (one's) identity; background; upbringing |
Study notes
元 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 4 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #192 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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