Nihongo

Classroom

What is the Kanji for "Revolve"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Revolve" is "転".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Koro".

Its onyomi reading is "Ten".

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 "車" means "Car" and can be read as "Kuruma" and "Sha". And The radical "云" means "Say" .

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

What does the kanji "転" mean in japanese?

"転" means "Revolve" .

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:

自転車: "Bicycle". The noun '自転車 (じてんしゃ)' refers to a two-wheeled vehicle powered by the rider pedaling. Bicycles are a common mode of transportation in many countries and can be used for commuting, exercise, or recreation. For example: I ride my bicycle to work every day - (私は毎日自転車で仕事に行きます). The family went for a bicycle ride in the park - (家族は公園でサイクリングをしました).
運転: "Driving". The verbal noun '運転 (うんてん)' means 'driving'. This word is used to refer to the act of operating or controlling a vehicle such as a car, truck, or motorcycle. It implies actively maneuvering and guiding a vehicle on the road. For example: I enjoy driving on the highway - (高速道路を運転するのが好きです). He is a good driver - (彼は上手な運転手です).
運転手: "Driver". The Japanese noun '運転手 (うんてんしゅ)' means 'driver'. This word refers to a person who operates a vehicle, such as a car, truck, or bus. Drivers are responsible for safely transporting passengers or goods from one location to another. For example: The taxi driver is waiting outside - (タクシーの運転手が外で待っている). I need to hire a driver for my event - (イベントのためにドライバーを雇う必要があります).
転ぶ: "Fall" or "Tumble". The Japanese verb '転ぶ (ころぶ)' means 'to fall' or 'to tumble'. It is used to describe when someone or something loses their balance and falls to the ground. This verb can be used for both literal and figurative falls. For example: I tripped and fell - (つまずいて転んだ). The child fell and scraped their knee - (子供が転んで膝を擦りむいた).
転換: "Change" or "Conversion". The noun '転換 (てんかん)' means 'change' or 'conversion'. It refers to a significant shift or transition, often from one state or condition to another. This word is used to describe major transformations in various contexts, such as a change in direction, a shift in perspective, or the conversion of something from one form to another. For example: The company underwent a major conversion - (その企業は大きな転換を遂げた). The government policy underwent a dramatic change - (政府の政策は大転換を遂げた).
自転: "Revolution". The noun '自転 (じてん)' refers to the revolution or rotation of an object around its own axis. This term is commonly used when discussing the rotation of celestial bodies like planets, moons, or stars. For example: The Earth rotates on its own axis, completing one revolution every 24 hours - (地球は自転して1日で1回転する).
回転: "Rotation". The Japanese verbal noun '回転 (かいてん)' means 'rotation'. This noun is used to describe the act of something turning or revolving around an axis or center point. It can be used to refer to the rotation of objects, such as wheels or planets, as well as abstract concepts like the rotation of ideas or responsibilities. For example: The wheel is rotating - (車輪が回転している). Rotation of the Earth - (地球の回転)
転がす: "Roll" or "Turn over". The Japanese verb '転がす (ころがす)' can mean 'to roll' something or 'to turn something over'. It is typically used to describe the action of causing an object to roll, spin, or turn over. For example: I rolled the ball down the hill - (ボールを山の下へ転がした). She turned the page over - (彼女は頁を転がした).
移転: "Move". The verbal noun '移転 (いてん)' means 'to move'. This refers to the action of changing the location or residence of a person, organization, or object. It can be used in situations such as: The company is moving to a new office - (会社が新しいオフィスに移転しています). The family moved to a bigger house - (その家族は大きな家に移転しました).
転がる: "Roll". The Japanese verb '転がる (ころがる)' means 'to roll'. This verb is used to describe the action of an object or person moving in a circular motion along a surface. It can be used for both inanimate objects as well as living beings. For example: The ball rolled down the hill - (ボールが丘を転がった), The child rolled down the grassy slope - (子供が草のうえでころがった).
転ずる: "Turn". The verb '転ずる (てんずる)' means 'to turn'. This verb is used to describe the action of changing direction or position. It can be used to describe physical movements as well as abstract changes. For example: The car turned the corner - (車が曲がり角を転じた). She turned her attention to the other matter - (彼女は他の問題に注意を転じた).
転勤: "Transfer". The verbal noun '転勤 (てんきん)' means 'transfer'. It refers to the act of being reassigned or moved to a different workplace or office location. This is common in many Japanese companies and organizations, where employees may be required to transfer to different branches or offices as part of their career development or to meet the needs of the organization. For example: He got transferred to the Osaka office - (彼は大阪支店に転勤した). The company announced a wave of employee transfers - (会社は従業員の大規模な転勤を発表した).
転職: "Job change". The noun '転職 (てんしょく)' means 'job change'. It refers to the act of switching from one job or employer to another. This word is commonly used when someone decides to leave their current workplace and seek employment elsewhere, often for better opportunities, higher pay, or a change in career path. For example: She decided to make a job change - (彼女は転職を決めた). I'm thinking about a job change - (転職を考えている).
寝転ぶ: "Lie down". The Japanese verb '寝転ぶ (ねころぶ)' means 'to lie down'. This verb is used to describe the action of laying oneself down in a horizontal position, usually on a flat surface such as a bed, floor, or ground. It conveys a sense of relaxation and repose. For example: I will lie down and take a nap - (私は寝転んで昼寝をするつもりです).

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 "て" is read as "te". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "こ" is read as "ko". And The hiragana "ろ" is read as "ro".