語
語 — Word
word, speech, language
On’yomiゴ (go)
Kun’yomiかたる (kataru)
Kun’yomiかたらう (katarau)
Stroke order (14 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 語
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 英語 | えいご eigo | English (language) |
| 日本語 | にほんご nihongo | Japanese (language) |
| 物語 | ものがたり monogatari | story; tale; narrative |
| 言語 | げんご gengo | language |
| 用語 | ようご yougo | term; terminology; wording |
| 国語 | こくご kokugo | national language; Japanese language (esp. as a school subject in Japan); one's native language |
Study notes
語 is a JLPT N5 kanji written with 14 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #301 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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