What is the Kanji for "Root"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Root" is "根".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Ne".

Its onyomi reading is "Kon".

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 "木" means "Tree" and "Wood" and can be read as "Boku", "Ki", "Moku", and "Ko". And The radical "艮" means "Stopping" .

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

What does the kanji "根" mean in japanese?

"根" means "Root".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N2 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

根拠: "Basis". The Japanese noun '根拠 (こんきょ)' means 'basis'. It refers to the evidence, facts or logical reasons that support a particular claim, idea or conclusion. It is used to describe the foundation or grounds on which something is established. For example: The research study has a solid basis - (その研究には確かな根拠がある). The decision was made based on a strong basis - (その判断は確かな根拠に基づいていた).

根: "Root". The Japanese noun '根 (ね)' means 'root'. This word refers to the underground part of a plant that grows downwards and absorbs nutrients and water from the soil. It can also be used figuratively to refer to the origin, basis, or fundamental part of something. For example: The root of the plant is strong - (植物の根は強い). The roots of this problem are complicated - (この問題の根は複雑だ).

根本: "Root" or "Foundation". The Japanese noun '根本 (こんぽん)' has two primary meanings. The first meaning is 'root', referring to the base or origin of something, such as the root of a tree or the root cause of a problem. The second meaning is 'foundation', indicating the fundamental basis or core of something. This word is often used to describe the underlying principles or basic elements that support or form the structure of something. For example: The root of the problem - (問題の根本). The foundation of society - (社会の根本).

屋根: "Roof". The Japanese noun '屋根 (やね)' means 'roof'. This word refers to the structure that covers the top of a building, providing protection from the elements such as sun, rain, and snow. Roofs can be made of various materials like tiles, shingles, or metal. They are an essential part of a building's design and construction. For example: The house has a tile roof - (その家は瓦の屋根だ). The roof is leaking - (屋根が漏れている).

大根: "Radish". The Japanese noun '大根 (だいこん)' refers to the large, white radish that is commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It has a crisp, pungent flavor and is often used in stews, salads, and pickles. For example: I bought some radish at the market - (市場で大根を買いました). The radish in the salad is very fresh - (サラダの大根がとても新鮮です).

羽根: "Feather". The Japanese noun '羽根 (はね)' refers to the feather of a bird or other winged creature. Feathers are the lightweight, keratinized structures that cover the skin of birds and some other animals, providing insulation, waterproofing, and enabling flight. This word can be used to describe the full feathers or individual plumes. Examples: The peacock has beautiful feathers - (孔雀は美しい羽根を持っている). I found a feather on the ground - (地面に羽根を見つけた).

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 "ね" is read as "ne". The hiragana "こ" is read as "ko". And The hiragana "ん" is read as "n".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.