Nihongo

Classroom

What is the Kanji for "Leader" and "Commander"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Leader" and "Commander" is "将".

This kanji has 1 reading:

Its onyomi reading is "Shou".

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 component "丬" . And The component "寽" .

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

What does the kanji "将" mean in japanese?

"将" means "Leader" and "Commander" .

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Sixth Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N2 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

将来: "Future". The Japanese noun '将来 (しょうらい)' means 'future'. It refers to the time that is yet to come, as opposed to the present or the past. This word can be used to talk about plans, expectations, or predictions about what will happen in the days, months, or years ahead. For example: I'm worried about my future - (私は将来のことが心配だ). What does the future hold? - (将来はどうなるのでしょうか)
将軍: "Shogun". The Japanese noun '将軍 (しょうぐん)' means 'shogun'. A shogun was the military dictator of Japan during the shogunate period, who held great power and authority over the feudal lords (daimyo). Shoguns were typically from powerful samurai families and commanded a large army. For example: The shogun ruled over the feudal lords - (将軍は大名を支配した).
大将: "General". The Japanese noun '大将 (たいしょう)' refers to a 'general', the highest-ranking military officer in charge of an army or military operation. This term is used to denote a commander-in-chief or the leader of an armed forces. For example: The general led his troops into battle - (大将は部隊を戦闘に率いた). He was appointed as the new general - (彼は新しい大将に任命された).
女将: "Mistress". The Japanese noun '女将 (おかみ)' refers to the female proprietor or manager of an inn, hotel, or traditional ryokan. The term denotes a woman who is in charge of the overall operation and hospitality of the establishment. She is responsible for overseeing the staff, managing the finances, and ensuring the guests have a pleasant stay. For example: The mistress warmly greeted the customers - (女将が客を丁寧に迎えた). The inn's mistress prepared a delicious breakfast - (女将が美味しい朝食を用意した).
将校: "Officer". The Japanese noun '将校 (しょうこう)' refers to an officer, such as a commissioned officer in the military or police. It is a general term used to describe a person of high rank and authority within an organization's hierarchy. Officers are typically responsible for leading, commanding, and overseeing the activities of subordinates. For example: The general gave orders to the officers - (将軍は将校に命令を下した). The young officer was promoted - (若い将校が昇進した).

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 "し" is read as "shi". And The hiragana "う" is read as "u".