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What is the Kanji for 'Merit' and 'Achievement'? | 功

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

The Japanese Kanji for 'Merit' and 'Achievement' is 功.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Merit, Achievement

    Reading

    onyomi

    ku

    こう

    kou

    Parts

    Power Construction

    Example Word

    成功: success. The Japanese verbal noun '成功 (せいこう)' means 'success'. It refers to the achievement of a desired goal or outcome. This word is commonly used in contexts related to personal, professional, or academic achievements. For example: His success was celebrated by everyone「彼の成功は皆に祝われた」(かれのせいこうはみんなにいわわれた). The project was a great success「そのプロジェクトは大成功だった」(そのプロジェクトはだいせいこうだった). Note that '成功' can also be used as a verb when combined with the auxiliary verb 'する', as in '成功する (せいこうする)', meaning 'to succeed'.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    5

    JLPT

    N1

    Grade

    4

    Frequency

    991

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

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

    kanji

    Meaning

    Power

    kanji

    Meaning

    Construction

Words Using

This kanji is used in 1 word:

    word

    成功

    Meaning

    Success

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 19 kanji contain the part 力 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Man

    kanji

    Meaning

    Exertion

    kanji

    Meaning

    Move

    kanji

    Meaning

    Join, Add

    kanji

    Meaning

    Effective

    kanji

    Meaning

    Diligence

    kanji

    Meaning

    Labor

    kanji

    Meaning

    Help

    kanji

    Meaning

    Toil

    kanji

    Meaning

    Power, Force

    kanji

    Meaning

    Strive, Encourage

    kanji

    Meaning

    Raise, Recruit

    kanji

    Meaning

    Childhood, Infancy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Inferior, Inferiority

    kanji

    Meaning

    Urge, Recommend

    kanji

    Meaning

    Investigate, Censure

    kanji

    Meaning

    Check, Intuition

    kanji

    Meaning

    Imperial order, Imperial decree

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rise, Suddenness

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 12 kanji contain the part 工 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Left

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sky, Empty

    kanji

    Meaning

    Style, Ceremony

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fear

    kanji

    Meaning

    Creek, Inlet

    kanji

    Meaning

    Clause, Paragraph

    kanji

    Meaning

    Attack, Aggression

    kanji

    Meaning

    Tribute

    kanji

    Meaning

    Inquire

    kanji

    Meaning

    Crimson

    kanji

    Meaning

    Skill, Adept

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rainbow

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 功 mean?

功 means 'Merit' and 'Achievement'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Fourth Grade, 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.