Nihongo

Classroom

What is the Kanji for "Ripe" and "Mature"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Ripe" and "Mature" is "熟".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "U".

Its onyomi reading is "Juku".

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 "火" means "Fire" and can be read as "Hi", "Ka" and "Ho". And The component "孰" .

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

What does the kanji "熟" mean in japanese?

"熟" means "Ripe" and "Mature" .

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Sixth Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N1 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

熟す: "Ripen" or "Become proficient". The Japanese verb '熟す (こなす)' has two main meanings. The first meaning is 'to ripen', referring to something like fruit or vegetables becoming ripe and ready to eat. For example: The fruit is ripening - (果物が熟れてきている). The second meaning is 'to become proficient' or 'to master', relating to someone developing expertise in a skill or task over time through practice. For example: She has really become proficient at playing the piano - (彼女はピアノを熟してきた).
成熟: "Maturity" or "Ripeness". The noun '成熟 (せいじゅく)' refers to the state of being fully developed, grown, or ripe. It can describe the maturity of a person, an organization, an idea, or a fruit. It suggests a sense of completeness, refinement, and readiness. For example: The student's maturity was reflected in their responsible behavior - (学生の成熟は責任ある行動に表れていた). The fruit is ripe and ready to eat - (その果物は十分に成熟して食べごろだ).

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 "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "じ" is read as "ji". And The hiragana "く" is read as "ku".