研
研 — Polish
polish, study of, sharpen
On’yomiケン (ken)
Kun’yomiとぐ (togu)
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 研
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 研究 | けんきゅう kenkyuu | research; study; investigation |
| 研究所 | けんきゅうじょ kenkyuujo | research institute; (research) laboratory |
| 研修 | けんしゅう kenshuu | training (esp. in-service); induction course |
| 研究者 | けんきゅうしゃ kenkyuusha | researcher |
| 研究員 | けんきゅういん kenkyuuin | researcher; lab worker |
| 研究室 | けんきゅうしつ kenkyuushitsu | laboratory; seminar room; professor's office |
Study notes
研 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 9 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #336 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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