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What is the Kanji for 'Foundation stone' and 'Foundation'? | 礎

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Foundation stone' and 'Foundation', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Foundation stone' and 'Foundation' is 礎.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Foundation stone, Foundation

    Reading

    kunyomiいしずえ

    ishizue

    onyomi

    so

    Parts

    Stone

    Example Word

    基礎: foundation. The Japanese noun '基礎 (きそ)' means 'foundation'. It refers to the base or underlying support of something, whether physical, conceptual, or abstract. This word is often used in contexts like education, construction, or skills development. For example: The foundation of this building is strong「この建物の基礎は強い」(このたてもののきそはつよい). Learning the basics is important「基礎を学ぶことは大切です」(きそをまなぶことはたいせつです). It can also refer to the fundamental principles or groundwork of a subject, as in '基礎知識 (きそちしき) (basic knowledge)'.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    18

    JLPT

    N1

    Grade

    8

    Frequency

    1642

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Stone

    component

Words Using

This kanji is used in 1 word:

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 17 kanji contain the part 石 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Boulder

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sharpen

    kanji

    Meaning

    Certain

    kanji

    Meaning

    Break, Tear

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sand

    kanji

    Meaning

    Hard, Stiff

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reclaim, Cultivation

    kanji

    Meaning

    Smash

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sulfur, Sulphur

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reef

    kanji

    Meaning

    Stone, Monument, Tombstone

    kanji

    Meaning

    Magnet, Porcelain

    kanji

    Meaning

    Gun, Cannon

    kanji

    Meaning

    Niter, Nitrate

    kanji

    Meaning

    Go, The game of Go

    kanji

    Meaning

    Polish

    kanji

    Meaning

    Envy, Jealous

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 礎 mean?

礎 means 'Foundation stone' and 'Foundation'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N1 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.