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What is the Kanji for "Institution"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Institution" is "院".

This kanji has 1 reading:

Its onyomi reading is "In".

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 "完" means "Complete" and can be read as "Kan". And The radical "阝" means "Mound" .

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

What does the kanji "院" mean in japanese?

"院" means "Institution" .

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:

病院: "Hospital". The Japanese noun '病院 (びょういん)' means 'hospital'. It refers to a medical institution where patients receive treatment, care, and diagnosis. This word is commonly used in everyday conversations when discussing health, medical visits, or emergencies. For example: I went to the hospital「病院に行きました」(びょういんにいきました). The hospital is nearby「病院は近くです」(びょういんはちかくです). It is important to note that '病院' is distinct from 'クリニック (くりにっく)', which typically refers to smaller clinics or private practices.
: "Institution". The Japanese suffix '院 (いん)' is commonly used to denote institutions, particularly those related to healthcare, education, or religious establishments. It is often attached to nouns to specify the type of institution. For example: hospital「病院」(びょういん), temple「寺院」(じいん), or graduate school「大学院」(だいがくいん). This suffix is neutral in tone and is widely used in formal contexts. Example sentences: She works at a hospital「彼女は病院で働いています」(かのじょはびょういんではたらいています). He studies at a graduate school「彼は大学院で勉強しています」(かれはだいがくいんでべんきょうしています).
入院: "Hospitalization". The Japanese verbal noun '入院 (にゅういん)' refers to the act of being admitted to a hospital for treatment or care. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is staying in a hospital due to illness, injury, or medical procedures. For example: He was hospitalized for a week「彼は一週間入院した」(かれはいっしゅうかんにゅういんした). My grandmother needs to be hospitalized「私の祖母は入院する必要がある」(わたしのそぼはにゅういんするひつようがある). This term is often used in medical or personal health-related conversations.
大学院: "Graduate school". The Japanese noun '大学院 (だいがくいん)' refers to 'graduate school', which is an institution of higher education where students pursue advanced studies beyond a bachelor's degree. It is commonly used in academic contexts to describe programs for master's or doctoral degrees. Example sentences: I am studying at graduate school「私は大学院で勉強しています」(わたしはだいがくいんでべんきょうしています). She is applying to graduate school「彼女は大学院に応募しています」(かのじょはだいがくいんにおうぼしています). The term is often associated with research and specialized academic training.
退院: "Discharge". The Japanese verbal noun '退院 (たいいん)' refers to the act of being discharged from a hospital or medical facility after receiving treatment. It is commonly used in medical contexts to indicate that a patient has recovered sufficiently to leave the hospital. For example: The patient was discharged from the hospital「患者は退院しました」(かんじゃはたいいんしました). She will be discharged tomorrow「彼女は明日退院します」(かのじょはあしたたいいんします). Note that '退院' is often used in formal or medical settings and implies a sense of recovery or completion of treatment.
美容院: "Beauty salon". The Japanese noun '美容院 (びよういん)' refers to a 'beauty salon' or 'hair salon'. This term is specifically used for establishments that offer hair styling, cutting, and other beauty treatments. It is distinct from '床屋 (とこや)', which refers to a traditional barber shop. For example: I went to the beauty salon yesterday「昨日、美容院に行きました」(きのう、びよういんにいきました). She works at a beauty salon「彼女は美容院で働いています」(かのじょはびよういんではたらいています). The word is commonly used in everyday conversation when discussing personal grooming or beauty routines.
参議院: "House of Councilors". The Japanese noun '参議院 (さんぎいん)' refers to the 'House of Councilors,' which is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. It is one of the two houses in the Japanese legislative system, along with the House of Representatives (衆議院, しゅうぎいん). The House of Councillors plays a key role in passing laws and overseeing the government. Example: Members of the House of Councillors are directly elected by the people 「参議院の議員は国民によって直接選ばれる」 (さんぎいんのぎいんはこくみんによってちょくせつえらばれる). The House of Councillors has 242 seats 「参議院は242議席ある」 (さんぎいんは242ぎせきある).
衆議院: "House of Representatives". The Japanese noun '衆議院 (しゅうぎいん)' refers to the 'House of Representatives', which is the lower house of Japan's bicameral parliament, the National Diet. It is one of the two legislative chambers, the other being the House of Councilors (参議院, さんぎいん). The House of Representatives holds significant power, including the ability to override decisions made by the House of Councillors in certain situations. For example: The bill was passed by the House of Representatives「その法案は衆議院で可決された」(そのほうあんはしゅうぎいんでかけつされた). Members of the House of Representatives are elected by the public「衆議院議員は国民によって選ばれる」(しゅうぎいんぎいんはこくみんによってえらばれる).
寺院: "Temple". The Japanese noun '寺院 (じいん)' refers to a 'temple', specifically a Buddhist temple. This term is used to describe a place of worship and practice for Buddhists, often characterized by its architecture, statues, and religious activities. For example: I visited a famous temple「有名な寺院を訪れました」(ゆうめいなじいんをおとずれました). The temple is very old「その寺院はとても古いです」(そのじいんはとてもふるいです). It's important to note that '寺院' is distinct from '神社 (じんじゃ)', which refers to Shinto shrines.
院長: "Director". The Japanese noun '院長 (いんちょう)' refers to the director or head of an institution, particularly in contexts such as hospitals, clinics, or other medical facilities. It is a formal title used to denote the person in charge. For example: The director of the hospital is very kind「院長はとても親切です」(いんちょうはとてもしんせつです). I spoke with the clinic director「院長と話しました」(いんちょうとはなしました). This term is specific to institutional leadership and is not used in casual or general contexts.

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 "い" is read as "i". And The hiragana "ん" is read as "n".