用
用 — Utilize
utilize, business, service, use, employ
On’yomiヨウ (you)
Kun’yomiもちいる (mochiiru)
Stroke order (5 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 用
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 雇用 | こよう koyou | employment; hire |
| 採用 | さいよう saiyou | use; adoption; acceptance |
| 使用 | しよう shiyou | use; application; employment |
| 費用 | ひよう hiyou | cost; expense |
| 利用 | りよう riyou | use; utilization; utilisation |
| 運用 | うんよう unyou | making use of; application; practical use |
Study notes
用 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 5 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #107 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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