故
故 — Happenstance
happenstance, especially, intentionally, reason, cause, circumstances
On’yomiコ (ko)
Kun’yomiゆえ (yue)
Kun’yomiふるい (furui)
Kun’yomiもと (moto)
Stroke order (9 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 故
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 事故 | じこ jiko | accident; incident; trouble |
| 故障 | こしょう koshou | fault; trouble; breakdown |
| 故郷 | ふるさと furusato | hometown; birthplace; native place |
| 故人 | こじん kojin | the deceased; the departed; old friend |
| 交通事故 | こうつうじこ koutsuujiko | traffic accident |
| 故意 | こい koi | intent; intention; bad faith |
Study notes
故 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 9 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #612 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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