What is the Kanji for "Sit" and "Seat"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Sit" and "Seat" is "座".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Suwa".

Its onyomi reading is "Za".

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 "广" means "Dotted cliff" . And The component "坐" .

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

What does the kanji "座" mean in japanese?

"座" means "Sit" and "Seat".

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

Here are some words that use this kanji:

御座る: "Be" or "Exist". The verb '御座る (ござる)' has the meanings 'be' and 'exist'. This is a formal and polite verb that is used to indicate the location or presence of someone or something. It is commonly used to describe the location of a respected person or object. For example: The vase is here - (花瓶がここにございます). The Prime Minister is present - (首相がご座います).

座る: "Sit". The Japanese verb '座る (すわる)' means 'to sit'. This verb is used to describe the action of sitting down, either on a chair, on the floor, or in any other seated position. It can be used with various subjects, such as people or animals. For example: I am sitting - (私は座っています). The cat is sitting - (猫が座っています).

座: "Seat". The noun '座 (ざ)' means 'seat'. It refers to a place where one sits, such as a chair, bench, or throne. This word is commonly used in compounds to describe specific types of seating, like 肥沃な座 (ひよくなざ) - fertile seat, or to refer to one's position or status, like 主席の座 (しゅせきのざ) - the seat of the leader. Example sentences: I sat down on the wooden seat - (木の座に腰かけた). Please take a seat - (どうぞ座っていてください).

口座: "Account". The noun '口座 (こうざ)' refers to a bank account, where money is deposited and withdrawn. It is used to manage personal or business financial transactions. For example: I have a savings account - (私は口座を持っています). Please deposit the money into my account - (その金を私の口座に入金してください).

正座: "Kneel". The Japanese verbal noun '正座 (せいざ)' means 'to kneel'. This is a traditional form of sitting where one kneels with their legs folded underneath them, typically with the buttocks resting on the heels. This is seen as a polite and respectful way of sitting, especially when meeting with elders or in formal occasions. For example: He kneeled in the traditional way - (彼は正座した). I asked them to正座 during the ceremony - (私はその儀式で彼らに正座するよう求めた).

座布団: "Cushion". The Japanese noun '座布団 (ざぶとん)' refers to a thick, flat cushion used for sitting on the floor. It is a traditional Japanese furniture item commonly found in tatami mat rooms. 座布団 are often square or rectangular in shape and filled with materials like cotton or wool. They provide comfort and support when sitting on the floor in the Japanese style. For example: Please sit on the cushion - (座布団に座ってください). The family sat on the cushions around the low table - (家族は低い台の周りの座布団に座った).

座敷: "Room". The Japanese noun '座敷 (ざしき)' means 'room'. This word specifically refers to a traditional Japanese-style room, often in a ryokan (inn) or temple, that has tatami mats and is used for formal gatherings or ceremonies. For example: We stayed in a beautiful traditional room - (我々は美しい伝統的な座敷に泊まった). The geisha performed her dance in the formal room - (芸者が正式な座敷で踊りを披露した).

講座: "Course". The noun '講座 (こうざ)' means 'course'. This word is used to refer to a series of lessons or classes on a particular subject, usually held at a school, university, or other educational institution. For example: I'm taking an English course - (私は英語の講座を受けています). The university offers many interesting courses - (その大学は興味深い講座がたくさんあります).

座席: "Seat". The Japanese noun '座席 (ざせき)' refers to a place designed for sitting, specifically a seat. This term is commonly used to describe seats in vehicles, theaters, restaurants, and other public spaces. For example: Please find your assigned seat - (割り当てられた座席を見つけてください). I booked a window seat for the flight - (飛行機の窓側の座席を予約しました).

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 "ざ" is read as "za". The hiragana "す" is read as "su". And The hiragana "わ" is read as "wa".

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.