What is the Kanji for "Extinguish"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Extinguish", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Extinguish" is "消".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Ki" and "Ke".

Its onyomi reading is "Shou".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The radical "氵" means "Water" . And The kanji "肖" means "Resemble" and "Resemblance" and can be read as "Shou" and "Ayaka".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "消" mean in japanese?

"消" means "Extinguish".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

消しゴム: "Eraser". The noun '消しゴム (けしごむ)' means 'eraser'. An eraser is an object used to remove written pencil or ink marks from a surface. It is commonly made of rubber or a similar soft, malleable material. Erasers are an essential tool for writing and drawing. For example: I used an eraser to fix my mistake - (間違いを直すためにけしごむを使った). Can I borrow your eraser? - (あなたのけしごむを借りてもいいですか?)

消える: "Disappear". The Japanese verb '消える (きえる)' means 'to disappear'. This verb is used to describe when something vanishes or is no longer visible. It can be used for physical objects, lights, sounds, or even abstract things like memories or hopes. For example: The light bulb suddenly disappeared - (電球がすっと消えた). The smell of the flowers disappeared - (花の香りがすっと消えた).

消す: "Turn off" or "Erase". The Japanese verb '消す (けす)' has two main meanings. The first meaning is 'to turn off', referring to the action of switching off or extinguishing something, like a light or a fire. The second meaning is 'to erase', indicating the action of removing or deleting written or printed text. For example: I turned off the light - (電気を消した). Please erase this sentence - (この文章を消して)

消防車: "Fire truck". The Japanese noun '消防車 (しょうぼうしゃ)' refers to a vehicle used by fire departments to respond to emergencies and transport firefighters and equipment to the scene of a fire. These vehicles are typically large, red, and equipped with sirens and flashing lights to alert other drivers. They play a crucial role in fire prevention and emergency response. For example: The fire truck rushed to the scene - (消防車が現場に急いで向かった).

消防署: "Fire station". The Japanese noun '消防署 (しょうぼうしょ)' refers to a fire station - a building or facility that houses firefighters and equipment used to respond to and extinguish fires. Fire stations are important public safety infrastructure in Japan, staffed by trained firefighters ready to quickly respond to emergencies. For example: The fire station is located down the street - (消防署は通りを下がったところにあります).

消費: "Consumption". The Japanese verbal noun '消費 (しょうひ)' means 'consumption'. It refers to the act of using up a resource or good, especially in the economic sense of purchasing and using products. It can describe the consumption of various items such as food, energy, or materials. For example: Reducing consumption is important for the environment - (消費を減らすことは環境にとって重要です). The country's energy consumption has increased - (その国のエネルギー消費は増加している).

打ち消し: "Negation". The noun '打ち消し (うちけし)' refers to the act of negating or canceling something out. It implies a forceful denial or rejection of a statement or concept. This word is often used in grammar and logic to describe the negation of a proposition. For example: The negation of 'I like apples' is 'I don't like apples' - (私はりんごが好きではない(打ち消し))

消化: "Digestion". The verbal noun '消化 (しょうか)' refers to the process of breaking down food into simpler components that can be absorbed by the body. It encompasses the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food in the digestive system. This word can be used to describe the overall digestive process or to refer to the specific digestion of a particular food item. For example: Good digestion is important for health - (良い消化は健康にとって大切だ). Her stomach had trouble digesting the rich meal - (彼女の胃は高カロリーの食事を消化するのに苦労した).

消費者: "Consumer". The Japanese noun '消費者 (しょうひしゃ)' refers to a person who buys and uses products or services. Consumers are the end users of goods and services produced by businesses and industries. They play a crucial role in the economy by driving demand and influencing the supply of products. For example: The store is trying to attract more consumers - (この店は消費者をひきつけたいと思っている). Consumers today are more concerned about sustainability - (現代の消費者はより持続可能性に関心がある).

消火器: "Fire extinguisher". The Japanese noun '消火器 (しょうかき)' refers to a device used to extinguish or control small fires. It is a common safety equipment found in buildings, homes, and vehicles. Fire extinguishers come in different sizes and types to handle different types of fires. For example: Please locate the fire extinguisher - (消火器を見つけてください). There is a fire extinguisher on the wall - (壁に消火器がある).

解消: "Solution". The noun '解消 (かいしょう)' means 'solution'. It refers to the act of resolving or eliminating a problem, difficulty or situation. This word can be used in various contexts, such as solving a dispute, eliminating a conflict, or finding a way to deal with a crisis. For example: The company found a solution to the problem - (会社は問題の解消を見つけた). We need to find a solution as soon as possible - (できるだけ早く解消を見つける必要がある).

消滅: "Extinction". The noun '消滅 (しょうめつ)' means 'extinction'. It refers to the complete disappearance or ending of something, such as the extinction of a species or the extinction of a language. It can also be used to describe the fading or vanishing of something abstract, like the extinction of a way of life. For example: The extinction of the dinosaurs - (恐竜の消滅). The extinction of a culture - (文化の消滅).

消極的: "Passive" or "Reluctant". The Japanese adjective '消極的 (しょうきょくてき)' means 'passive' or 'reluctant'. This adjective is used to describe someone or something that is not active, enthusiastic or assertive. It can describe a person who is hesitant to take action or express their opinions strongly. For example: He was passive about joining the club - (彼は部活への参加に消極的だった). Her attitude was reluctant - (彼女の態度は消極的だった).

消毒: "Disinfect". The Japanese verbal noun '消毒 (しょうどく)' means 'to disinfect' or 'to sterilize'. This term is used to describe the process of cleaning and removing harmful bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms from a surface or area. It is commonly used in medical and sanitary contexts, such as cleaning hospital equipment or disinfecting hands. For example: We disinfected the hospital room - (病室を消毒した). Disinfect the table - (テーブルを消毒する).

消防: "Fire service". The Japanese noun '消防 (しょうぼう)' refers to the fire department or fire brigade. It encompasses the organization, personnel, and equipment responsible for preventing, responding to, and extinguishing fires. The '消防' plays a vital role in public safety and emergency response within a community. For example: The fire service arrived quickly to put out the fire - (消防が迅速に火災を消し止めた).

取り消す: "Cancel". The Japanese verb '取り消す (とりけす)' means 'to cancel'. This verb is used to express the act of revoking, withdrawing, or nullifying something that was previously set or agreed upon. It can be applied to various situations, such as cancelling an order, rescinding a contract, or retracting a statement. For example: I had to cancel my dinner reservation - (私は夕食の予約を取り消さなければなりませんでした).

取り消し: "Cancellation". The Japanese noun '取り消し (とりけし)' means 'cancellation'. This word refers to the act of annulling, revoking, or abolishing something that has been previously established or decided. It is commonly used in contexts such as cancelling a contract, order, or reservation. For example: The airline cancelled my flight - (航空会社が私の便を取り消した). My hotel reservation was cancelled - (私のホテルの予約が取り消された).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". And The hiragana "け" is read as "ke".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.