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What is the Kanji for 'Master'? | 主

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

The Japanese Kanji for 'Master' is 主.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Master

    Reading

    kunyomiぬし

    nushi

    あるじ

    aruji

    onyomi

    su

    しゅ

    shu

    Parts

    Dot King

    Example Word

    主人: master or husband. The Japanese noun '主人 (しゅじん)' has two primary meanings. The first is 'husband', used in a formal or traditional context to refer to one's spouse. For example: my husband is kind「主人は優しい」(しゅじんはやさしい). The second meaning is 'master', referring to someone who is in charge, such as the head of a household or the owner of a business. For example: the master of the house「家の主人」(いえのしゅじん). It's important to note that the usage of '主人' to mean 'husband' can sound old-fashioned or overly formal in modern contexts, where '夫 (おっと)' is more commonly used. The term '主人' to mean 'master' is often used in business settings or when referring to the head of a household.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    5

    JLPT

    N4

    Grade

    3

    Frequency

    85

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

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

    radical

    Meaning

    Dot

    kanji

    Meaning

    King

As Part Of Other Kanji

This kanji appears as part of 5 other kanji:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Live

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pour

    kanji

    Meaning

    Journey, Go on

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pillar

    kanji

    Meaning

    Parking, Stationed

Words Using

This kanji is used in 32 words:

    word

    主義

    Meaning

    Doctrine, Principle

    word

    ご主人

    Meaning

    Husband

    word

    主人

    Meaning

    Master, Husband

    word

    民主

    Meaning

    Democracy

    word

    主張

    Meaning

    Claim, Assertion

    word

    主体

    Meaning

    Subject

    word

    株主

    Meaning

    Shareholder

    word

    主婦

    Meaning

    Housewife

    word

    主要

    Meaning

    Main, Principal

    word

    主役

    Meaning

    Lead

    word

    主食

    Meaning

    Staple food

    word

    Meaning

    Main

    word

    共産主義

    Meaning

    Communism

    word

    自主的

    Meaning

    Voluntary

    word

    主に

    Meaning

    Mainly

    word

    資本主義

    Meaning

    Capitalism

    word

    主観的

    Meaning

    Subjective

    word

    主な

    Meaning

    Main

    word

    主催

    Meaning

    Sponsor

    word

    自主

    Meaning

    Independence

    word

    主題

    Meaning

    Theme

    word

    持ち主

    Meaning

    Owner

    word

    君主

    Meaning

    Monarch

    word

    主流

    Meaning

    Mainstream

    word

    家主

    Meaning

    Landlord

    word

    主導

    Meaning

    Leadership

    word

    坊主

    Meaning

    Monk, Bald

    word

    主観

    Meaning

    Subjectivity

    word

    地主

    Meaning

    Landlord

    word

    領主

    Meaning

    Lord

    word

    主任

    Meaning

    Chief

    word

    亭主

    Meaning

    Husband, Innkeeper

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 20 kanji contain the part 丶 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Insect

    kanji

    Meaning

    Dog

    kanji

    Meaning

    Evening

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ball, Jewel

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rain

    kanji

    Meaning

    Thick, Fat

    kanji

    Meaning

    Round

    kanji

    Meaning

    Mother

    kanji

    Meaning

    Heart

    kanji

    Meaning

    Night

    kanji

    Meaning

    Direction

    kanji

    Meaning

    Measurement

    kanji

    Meaning

    Good

    kanji

    Meaning

    State

    kanji

    Meaning

    Common

    kanji

    Meaning

    Eternity

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ice

    kanji

    Meaning

    Blade

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cinnabar, Rust colored

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rice bowl

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 18 kanji contain the part 王 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ball, Jewel

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reason

    kanji

    Meaning

    Whole, All

    kanji

    Meaning

    Appear, Current

    kanji

    Meaning

    Hope, Ambition

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sheep

    kanji

    Meaning

    Emperor

    kanji

    Meaning

    Saint, Holy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ball

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ring, Surround

    kanji

    Meaning

    Levy, Symptom

    kanji

    Meaning

    Crazy, Lunatic

    kanji

    Meaning

    Group, Squad

    kanji

    Meaning

    Display, Present

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ball, Pearl

    kanji

    Meaning

    Tinker with

    kanji

    Meaning

    Effulgent

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cauldron

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 主 mean?

主 means 'Master'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N4 exam.

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