What is the Kanji for "Finger"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Finger" is "指".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Sa" and "Yubi".

Its onyomi reading is "Shi".

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 "扌" means "Hand" . And The kanji "旨" means "Point", "Tasty", "Gist", and "Delicious" and can be read as "Shi", "Mune", and "Uma".

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

What does the kanji "指" mean in japanese?

"指" means "Finger".

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:

指: "Finger". The Japanese word '指 (ゆび)' means 'finger'. It refers to the digits on the hand, used for pointing, grasping, and performing manual tasks. This word can be used in various contexts, such as: My finger hurts - (指が痛い). She pointed with her finger - (彼女は指で指さした).

目指す: "Aim" or "Aspire". The Japanese verb '目指す (めざす)' means 'to aim' or 'to aspire'. It is used to indicate that someone or something is striving towards a particular goal or objective. This verb can be used in both concrete and abstract contexts. For example: She aims to become a doctor - (彼女は医者になるよう目指している). I aspire to be a great musician - (私は素晴らしい音楽家になることを目指している).

指示: "Instruction". The Japanese noun '指示 (しじ)' means 'instruction'. This word refers to a specific direction, command or order that is given to someone to perform a particular action or behave in a certain way. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. For example: Follow the instructions - (指示に従う). The manager gave clear instructions - (上司が明確な指示を出した).

指す: "Point". The Japanese verb '指す (さす)' means 'to point'. This verb is used to indicate the action of directing one's finger or another object towards something in order to identify, direct attention to, or indicate the location of that thing. For example: I am pointing at the bird - (私は鳥を指しています). He points to the door - (彼は扉を指しました).

小指: "Little finger". The noun '小指 (こゆび)' refers to the smallest and weakest finger on the hand. It is sometimes called the 'pinky finger'. This finger is often used to represent something small, insignificant or delicate. For example: I cut my little finger - (私は小指を切った). Her little finger is so small - (彼女の小指はとてもちいさい).

指定: "Designation". The Japanese verbal noun '指定 (してい)' means 'designation'. It refers to the act of officially appointing, assigning or specifying something. This term is often used in formal or bureaucratic contexts, such as when a location is 'designated' as a national park, or when a person is 'designated' to a particular role or position. For example: The committee designated me as the team leader - (委員会が私をチームリーダーに指定しました). The government designated this area as a protected wildlife zone - (政府がこの地域を保護区に指定しました).

薬指: "Ring finger". The Japanese noun '薬指 (くすりゆび)' refers to the 'ring finger', which is the fourth finger from the thumb on the hand. This finger is commonly used to wear rings, hence the name 'ring finger'. The term '薬指' literally translates to 'medicine finger', as this finger was historically believed to be connected to the body's meridian system. Example sentences: Please put the ring on your ring finger - (指輪を薬指に付けてください). Her ring finger is smaller than mine - (彼女の薬指は私の薬指より小さい).

親指: "Thumb". The Japanese noun '親指 (おやゆび)' refers to the thumb, which is the shortest and thickest digit on the human hand. It is considered the most important finger and is often used for grasping and manipulating objects. For example: My thumb is sore - (私の親指が痛い). She hurt her thumb - (彼女は親指を傷つけた).

指摘: "Point out". The verbal noun '指摘 (してき)' means 'to point out'. It is used to indicate the act of identifying or highlighting something, especially an issue, problem or error. It suggests bringing attention to something that may have been overlooked or needs to be addressed. For example: The teacher pointed out the mistake in my essay - (先生は私のエッセイの間違いを指摘した). She pointed out that the report was incomplete - (彼女はその報告書が不完全だと指摘した).

指導: "Guidance". The verbal noun '指導 (しどう)' means 'guidance'. This word refers to the act of providing direction, instruction, or supervision to help someone learn or improve. It is often used in educational or professional contexts to describe the process of teaching, mentoring, or leading others. For example: The teacher provided guidance to the students - (先生は生徒に指導をした). The manager gave guidance on the new project - (上司は新しいプロジェクトについて指導した).

指揮: "Lead". The verbal noun '指揮 (しき)' means 'to lead'. It refers to the act of directing, guiding or commanding, often in the context of leading a group or organization. For example: The conductor led the orchestra - (指揮者は管弦楽団を指揮した). He was appointed as the new team leader to lead the project - (彼は新しいチームのリーダーに任命され、プロジェクトを指揮することになった).

指標: "Indicator". The Japanese noun '指標 (しひょう)' refers to something that provides a measure or sign of the state or level of something. It is used to track or assess the performance, progress or condition of an entity, activity or system. For example: Economic indicators - (経済指標). The company's financial indicators showed improvement - (その会社の財務指標は改善を示していた).

指差す: "Point". The Japanese verb '指差す (ゆびさす)' means 'to point'. This verb is used to indicate something by extending one's finger toward it. It can be used to draw attention to an object, location, or direction. For example: I pointed at the bird - (私は鳥に指差した). Can you point to the exit? - (出口に指差せますか?)

人差し指: "Index finger". The Japanese noun '人差し指 (ひとさしゆび)' refers to the index finger, which is the second finger from the thumb. It is the finger most commonly used for pointing at things or directing attention. Example sentences: Point with your index finger - (人差し指で指さす). My index finger is longer than my middle finger - (私の人差し指は中指より長い).

中指: "Middle finger". The Japanese noun '中指 (なかゆび)' refers to the middle finger, the third finger of the hand, counting from the thumb. This finger is considered the most offensive finger to extend or point at someone in Japanese culture, as a rude or insulting gesture. For example: Don't give me the middle finger - (私に中指を立てないでください).

指先: "Fingertip". The noun '指先 (ゆびさき)' refers to the tips of the fingers. It is used to describe the small, sensitive area at the end of the fingers. This word is commonly used when discussing dexterity, fine motor skills, or the sense of touch. For example: She has a green thumb and can care for plants with her gentle fingertips - (彼女は緑の親指があり、指先を優しく使ってplants世話ができる).

指輪: "Ring". The Japanese noun '指輪 (ゆびわ)' refers to a ring, which is a circular band of material worn on the finger as an ornament or symbol. Rings are commonly made of precious metals such as gold, silver, or platinum, and may be adorned with gemstones. They are often used as a symbol of marriage, engagement, or commemoration. For example: She is wearing a beautiful diamond ring - (彼女は美しいダイヤモンドの指輪を付けている). My grandmother gave me her old wedding ring - (祖母は私に彼女の古い結婚指輪をくれた).

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 "さ" is read as "sa". The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "ゆ" is read as "yu". And The hiragana "び" is read as "bi".

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.