気
気 — Spirit
spirit, mind, air, atmosphere, mood
On’yomiキ (ki)
On’yomiケ (ke)
Kun’yomiいき (iki)
Kun’yomiき (ki)
Stroke order (6 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 気
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 気 | き ki | spirit; mind; heart |
| 景気 | けいき keiki | business conditions; the market; economic activity |
| 人気 | にんき ninki | popularity; public favor; condition (e.g. market) |
| 気持ち | きもち kimochi | feeling; sensation; mood |
| 電気 | でんき denki | electricity; (electric) light |
| 病気 | びょうき byouki | illness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold); disease; sickness |
Study notes
気 is a JLPT N5 kanji written with 6 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 1), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #113 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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