護
護 — Safeguard
safeguard, protect
On’yomiゴ (go)
Kun’yomiまもる (mamoru)
Stroke order (20 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 護
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 保護 | ほご hogo | protection; safeguard; guardianship |
| 弁護士 | べんごし bengoshi | lawyer; attorney |
| 看護婦 | かんごふ kangofu | (female) nurse |
| 介護 | かいご kaigo | nursing; care; caregiving |
| 看護 | かんご kango | nursing; (army) nurse |
| 弁護 | べんご bengo | defense; defence; pleading |
Study notes
護 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 20 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #351 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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