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What is the Kanji for 'Inferior' and 'Inferiority'? | 劣

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

The Japanese Kanji for 'Inferior' and 'Inferiority' is 劣.

    kanji

    劣

    Meaning

    Inferior, Inferiority

    Reading

    kunyomiおと

    oto

    onyomiれつ

    retsu

    Parts

    少Few 力Power

    Example Word

    劣る: inferior. The Japanese verb '劣る (おとる)' means 'to be inferior' or 'to be worse than'. It is used to compare two things, where one is of lesser quality, ability, or value compared to the other. This verb often carries a nuance of being lacking or not measuring up to a standard. For example: His skills are inferior to hers「彼のスキルは彼女に劣る」(かれのスキルはかのじょにおとる). This product is inferior to the previous model「この製品は前のモデルに劣る」(このせいひんはまえのモデルにおとる). Note that '劣る' is typically used in formal or written contexts and is less common in casual conversation.

    Radical

    力

    Stroke Count

    6

    JLPT

    N1

    Grade

    7

    Frequency

    1400

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 劣

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

    kanji

    少

    Meaning

    Few

    kanji

    力

    Meaning

    Power

Words Using 劣

This kanji is used in 1 word:

    word

    劣る

    Meaning

    Inferior

Kanji Related to 劣 Through the Part 少

These 7 kanji contain the part 少 as well.

    kanji

    砂

    Meaning

    Sand

    kanji

    歩

    Meaning

    Walk

    kanji

    妙

    Meaning

    Exquisite, Marvelous

    kanji

    沙

    Meaning

    Sand

    kanji

    省

    Meaning

    Ministry, Conserve

    kanji

    秒

    Meaning

    Second (of time)

    kanji

    抄

    Meaning

    Extract, Excerpt

Kanji Related to 劣 Through the Part 力

These 19 kanji contain the part 力 as well.

    kanji

    労

    Meaning

    Labor

    kanji

    幼

    Meaning

    Childhood, Infancy

    kanji

    勧

    Meaning

    Urge, Recommend

    kanji

    助

    Meaning

    Help

    kanji

    勉

    Meaning

    Exertion

    kanji

    勢

    Meaning

    Power, Force

    kanji

    努

    Meaning

    Toil

    kanji

    励

    Meaning

    Strive, Encourage

    kanji

    劾

    Meaning

    Investigate, Censure

    kanji

    勃

    Meaning

    Rise, Suddenness

    kanji

    勅

    Meaning

    Imperial order, Imperial decree

    kanji

    男

    Meaning

    Man

    kanji

    募

    Meaning

    Raise, Recruit

    kanji

    加

    Meaning

    Join, Add

    kanji

    功

    Meaning

    Merit, Achievement

    kanji

    勤

    Meaning

    Diligence

    kanji

    効

    Meaning

    Effective

    kanji

    勘

    Meaning

    Check, Intuition

    kanji

    動

    Meaning

    Move

Learn the Kanji 劣

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 劣 mean?

劣 means 'Inferior' and 'Inferiority'.

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.