What is the Kanji for "Shape"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Shape" is "形".

This kanji has 4 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Kata" and "Katachi".

Its onyomi readings are "Kei" and "Gyou".

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 radical "彡" means "Fur" . And The radical "开" means "Open" .

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

What does the kanji "形" mean in japanese?

"形" means "Shape".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

形: "Form". The Japanese noun '形 (かたち)' means 'form'. This word refers to the external appearance or configuration of something, the shape or figure of an object. It can also be used to describe the structure or arrangement of something. For example: The form of the flower is beautiful - (花の形がきれいです). This sculpture has an interesting form - (この彫刻は形が面白い)

形式: "Form" or "Format". The Japanese noun '形式 (けいしき)' means 'form' or 'format'. It refers to the structure, arrangement, or configuration of something. This word can be used to describe the shape, layout, or organization of an object, document, or process. For example: The form is in a specific format - (その書式は特定の形式になっています). The form has a fixed format - (その書式は固定の形式になっています).

形態: "Form". The Japanese noun '形態 (けいたい)' means 'form'. It refers to the shape, configuration or structure of something. It can be used to describe the physical form of an object, but also the structure or nature of an abstract concept. For example: The form of the flower - (花の形態). The form of a business structure - (ビジネス構造の形態).

人形: "Doll". The Japanese noun '人形 (にんぎょう)' refers to a small-scale replica of a human figure, often made of materials such as porcelain, plastic, or cloth. Dolls are commonly used as toys for children, decorations, or as part of cultural traditions. For example: I played with my doll all day - (私は一日中人形で遊んだ). The dolls were beautifully crafted - (人形はとてもきれいに作られていた).

三角形: "Triangle". The noun '三角形 (さんかくけい)' refers to a three-sided closed shape with three angles. It is a fundamental geometric shape used in various fields such as mathematics, architecture, and design. For example: The triangle has three sides - (三角形は三つの辺がある). The triangular table looks nice in the room - (三角形のテーブルがこの部屋によく合っています).

形式的: "Formal". The Japanese adjective '形式的 (けいしきてき)' means 'formal'. This adjective is used to describe something that adheres to established rules, procedures, or conventions. It often implies a lack of flexibility or personal touch. For example: The ceremony was very formal - (その式典は非常に形式的でした). The report had a formal structure - (そのレポートは形式的な構造でした).

形成: "Formation". The verbal noun '形成 (けいせい)' refers to the process of forming or creating something. It can be used to describe the development or establishment of a physical object, an abstract concept, or an organization. For example: The formation of a new government - (新しい政府の形成). The formation of crystals - (結晶の形成).

正方形: "Square". The noun '正方形 (せいほうけい)' refers to a geometric shape that has four equal sides and four right angles. It is a type of quadrilateral. This shape is commonly found in everyday objects and architectural designs. For example: The table has a square shape - (テーブルは正方形の形をしている). The window is a perfect square - (その窓は正方形にできている).

手形: "Bill" or "Promissory note". The Japanese noun '手形 (てがた)' refers to a 'bill' or 'promissory note'. It is a written financial instrument that acknowledges a debt and promises payment. This can be used in business transactions as a method of deferred payment. For example: I signed a promissory note - (手形に署名した). He paid with a bill - (手形で支払った).

形容詞: "Adjective". The noun '形容詞 (けいようし)' refers to an adjective in the Japanese language. Adjectives in Japanese are used to describe nouns and can provide information about a noun's qualities, states, or attributes. For example: Cute cat - (かわいい猫). The book is old - (その本は古い).

長方形: "Rectangle". The Japanese noun '長方形 (ちょうほうけい)' refers to a geometric shape that is a rectangle. A rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles and two pairs of parallel sides of different lengths. This word is commonly used to describe rectangular objects, structures, or areas. For example: The window is a rectangle - (その窓は長方形です). The room is a perfect rectangle - (その部屋は完全な長方形です).

地形: "Terrain". The Japanese word '地形 (ちけい)' means 'terrain'. It refers to the physical features and characteristics of a specific geographic area or landscape, such as hills, valleys, mountains, plains, etc. It can be used to describe the overall topographical layout of a region. For example: The terrain in this area is quite hilly - (この地域の地形は非常に丘陵地帯です). The flat terrain makes it easy to build roads - (平坦な地形のおかげでここは道路を作りやすい).

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 "け" is read as "ke". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". The hiragana "ぎ" is read as "gi". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "か" is read as "ka". The hiragana "た" is read as "ta". And The hiragana "ち" is read as "chi".

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.