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What is the Kanji for 'Reason' and 'Deceased'? | 故

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

The Japanese Kanji for 'Reason' and 'Deceased' is 故.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reason, Deceased

    Reading

    kunyomiゆえ

    yue

    onyomi

    ko

    Parts

    Old Strike

    Example Word

    何故: why. The Japanese adverb '何故 (なぜ)' means 'why'. It is used to ask for the reason or cause of something. This word is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. For example: Why did you come?「何故来たの?」(なぜきたの?). Why is it so expensive?「何故そんなに高いの?」(なぜそんなにたかいの?). The word '何故' can also be written as 'なぜ' in hiragana, and it is often used interchangeably with other words that mean 'why', such as 'どうして' and 'なんで', though '何故' can sometimes carry a slightly more formal or literary tone.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    9

    JLPT

    N1

    Grade

    5

    Frequency

    374

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

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

    kanji

    Meaning

    Old

    radical

    Meaning

    Strike

Words Using

This kanji is used in 6 words:

    word

    何故

    Meaning

    Why

    word

    交通事故

    Meaning

    Accident

    word

    Meaning

    Reason

    word

    事故

    Meaning

    Accident

    word

    故障

    Meaning

    Breakdown, Malfunction

    word

    故郷

    Meaning

    Hometown

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 6 kanji contain the part 古 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Suffer

    kanji

    Meaning

    Hard

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reside, Be

    kanji

    Meaning

    Wither

    kanji

    Meaning

    Overcome

    kanji

    Meaning

    Receive

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 24 kanji contain the part 攵 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Number

    kanji

    Meaning

    Teach

    kanji

    Meaning

    Organize

    kanji

    Meaning

    Government, Politics

    kanji

    Meaning

    Enemy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Respect

    kanji

    Meaning

    Defeat

    kanji

    Meaning

    Reform

    kanji

    Meaning

    Clause

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rescue

    kanji

    Meaning

    Scatter

    kanji

    Meaning

    Release

    kanji

    Meaning

    Doth, Do humbly

    kanji

    Meaning

    Spread, Lay

    kanji

    Meaning

    Flat, Counter

    kanji

    Meaning

    Levy, Symptom

    kanji

    Meaning

    Attack, Aggression

    kanji

    Meaning

    Penetrate, Go through

    kanji

    Meaning

    Remove, Withdraw

    kanji

    Meaning

    Breed, Pasture

    kanji

    Meaning

    Agile, Alert

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pardon

    kanji

    Meaning

    Daring

    kanji

    Meaning

    Enlighten, State respectfully

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 故 mean?

故 means 'Reason' and 'Deceased'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Fifth 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.