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What is the Kanji for "Hold"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Hold" is "持".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Mo" and "Mochi".

Its onyomi reading is "Ji".

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 kanji "寺" means "Temple" and can be read as "Ji" and "Tera". And The radical "扌" means "Hand" .

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

What does the kanji "持" mean in japanese?

"持" means "Hold" .

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

持つ: "Hold". The Japanese verb '持つ (もつ)' means 'to hold'. This verb is used to express the action of grasping, carrying, or possessing something with one's hands or body. It can be used with a wide variety of objects, from physical items to abstract concepts. For example: I hold a book - (本を持つ). She holds the baby - (彼女は赤ちゃんを持っている).
気持ち: "Feeling". The Japanese noun '気持ち (きもち)' refers to a person's internal state or emotional state. It is used to describe a wide range of feelings and emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, or excitement. This word is commonly used in various contexts to express one's current mental or emotional condition. For example: I have mixed feelings about this - (この件についての気持ちはまちまちだ). She has strong feelings for him - (彼女はとても強い気持ちを持っている).
持って行く: "Take" or "Bring". The Japanese verb '持って行く (もっていく)' has two primary meanings: 'to take' and 'to bring'. It is used to indicate the act of physically carrying or transporting something from one location to another. The first meaning, 'to take', refers to moving an object from the current location to another place. For example: I will take the book with me - (本を持って行きます). The second meaning, 'to bring', refers to moving an object from another location to the current one. For example: Please bring the umbrella - (傘を持って来てください).
持って来る: "Bring". The Japanese verb '持って来る (もってくる)' means 'to bring'. This verb is used to indicate that someone is bringing an object or item from one place to another. It suggests that the action involves carrying or transporting something. For example: I will bring the books - (本を持って来る). Can you bring me a cup of coffee? - (コーヒーを持って来てください).
受け持つ: "Manage". The Japanese verb '受け持つ (うけもつ)' means 'to manage'. This verb is used to indicate that someone is responsible for overseeing or administering a particular task, project, or area of responsibility. For example: I manage the sales department - (私は営業部を受け持っています). The teacher manages the class - (先生は授業を受け持っています).
支持: "Support". The verbal noun '支持 (しじ)' means 'support'. It refers to the act of providing approval, backing or endorsement for something or someone. It can be used in the context of giving political, financial or moral support. For example: We need more public support for this initiative - (この施策をより多くの人々に支持してもらう必要がある). The government enjoys widespread support from the people - (政府は国民の広範な支持を得ている).
持ち込む: "Bring" or "Take". The verb '持ち込む (もちこむ)' means 'to bring' or 'to take' something somewhere. It is used when referring to the action of carrying or transporting an item to a particular location. For example: Please bring your notebook to the meeting - (ノートを会議に持ち込んでください). I took my laptop to work today - (今日仕事に私のパソコンを持ち込みました).
維持: "Maintain". The Japanese verbal noun '維持 (いじ)' means 'to maintain'. This word expresses the action of preserving, upholding or keeping something in its current state or condition. It can be used in various contexts, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a machine or equipment, or maintaining one's reputation. For example: I will maintain a healthy diet - (健康的な食生活を維持します). The company aims to maintain its market share - (同社はそのシェアを維持することを目指しています).
持続: "Continuity". The noun '持続 (じぞく)' means 'continuity'. It refers to the state or quality of lasting, enduring or continuing over time without interruption. This word is used to describe the uninterrupted persistence or maintenance of something. For example: The continuity of the business was ensured - (企業の持続が確保された). The continuity of the family tradition is important - (家族の伝統の持続は大切だ).
金持ち: "Wealthy". The Japanese noun '金持ち (かねもち)' refers to a person who is wealthy, affluent or has a large amount of money. It can be used to describe someone who is rich or financially well-off. For example: The wealthy businessman - (金持ちの実業家). She is a wealthy woman - (彼女は金持ちの女性です).
持ち出す: "Take out". The Japanese verb '持ち出す (もちだす)' means 'to take out'. This verb is used to indicate the action of removing or taking something from its usual place or location. It implies that the object is being moved or extracted from where it was previously kept or stored. For example: I will take the book out of the bag - (バッグから本を持ち出します). She took out the documents from the drawer - (彼女は引き出しから書類を持ち出しました).
保持: "Holding". The noun '保持 (ほじ)' means 'holding'. It refers to the act of grasping, retaining, or maintaining possession of something. This can include holding an object, maintaining a position or title, or preserving a particular state or condition. For example: The company aims to hold a dominant market share - (この企業は市場を支配し続けることを目指している). The athlete will hold the trophy high - (その選手はトロフィーを高く掲げるだろう).
持ち主: "Owner". The Japanese noun '持ち主 (もちぬし)' means 'owner'. This word refers to the person who owns or possesses something. It can be used to describe the owner of an object, a property, or even a pet. For example: The owner of this house is very friendly - (この家の持ち主はとても親切だ). My dog's owner came to pick him up - (私の犬の持ち主が迎えに来た).
持ち物: "Possession". The noun '持ち物 (もちもの)' means 'possession'. It refers to items that someone owns or has with them. This word is commonly used to describe personal belongings or items that a person carries. For example: I forgot my possession - (私の持ち物を忘れた). She brought her possessions - (彼女は自分の持ち物を持ってきた).
長持ち: "Last long". The verbal noun '長持ち (ながもち)' means 'to last long'. It describes something that has the quality or ability to endure or continue for an extended period of time without wearing out or breaking down. For example: This product lasts long - (この製品は長持ちする). The battery in this device has good longevity - (このデバイスのバッテリーは長持ちする).
持ち上げる: "Lift". The Japanese verb '持ち上げる (もちあげる)' means 'to lift'. This verb is used to describe the action of raising or moving an object upwards, often with the use of one's hands or a tool. It can be used for both light and heavy objects. For example: He lifted the box - (彼は箱を持ち上げた). I need to lift this table - (このテーブルを持ち上げる必要があります).
持参: "Bring". The noun '持参 (じさん)' means 'to bring'. It refers to the action of bringing or carrying something with you, often when going to a specific place or event. For example: I brought my laptop to the meeting - (会議に私のノートパソコンを持参しました). Please bring your textbook to class - (クラスに教科書を持参してください).

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 "じ" is read as "ji". The hiragana "も" is read as "mo". And The hiragana "ち" is read as "chi".