動
動 — Move
move, motion, change, confusion, shift, shake
On’yomiドウ (dou)
Kun’yomiうごく (ugoku)
Kun’yomiうごかす (ugokasu)
Stroke order (11 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 動
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 運動 | うんどう undou | exercise; physical training; workout |
| 活動 | かつどう katsudou | activity (of a person, organization, animal, volcano, etc.); action; operation |
| 行動 | こうどう koudou | action; conduct; behaviour |
| 自動車 | じどうしゃ jidousha | car; automobile; motorcar |
| 動き | うごき ugoki | movement; move; motion |
| 動物 | どうぶつ doubutsu | animal |
Study notes
動 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 11 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #73 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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