What is the Kanji for "Thick" and "Fat"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Thick" and "Fat" is "太".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Futo".

Its onyomi readings are "Tai" and "Ta".

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 "大" means "Big" and can be read as "Oo", "Dai", and "Tai". And The radical "丶" means "Dot" .

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

What does the kanji "太" mean in japanese?

"太" means "Thick" and "Fat".

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:

太陽: "Sun". The noun '太陽 (たいよう)' refers to the sun, the star at the center of our solar system. It is the largest object in the solar system and provides light and heat to the planets. It is essential for life on Earth and plays a crucial role in our daily lives. For example: The sun is shining brightly today - (今日は太陽がよく輝いている). The sun rises in the east - (太陽は東から昇る).

太い: "Thick". The Japanese adjective '太い (ふとい)' means 'thick'. This adjective is used to describe an object or person that has considerable width or diameter. It can be applied to physical objects like a tree trunk, or to describe a person's build or physical appearance. For example: The book is very thick - (その本はとても太い). He has a thick neck - (彼は太い首をしている).

太る: "Gain weight". The Japanese verb '太る (ふとる)' means 'to gain weight'. This verb is used to describe the action of increasing one's body weight, usually in an undesirable manner. It can be used in reference to a person's health or physical appearance. For example: I gained weight over the holidays - (休暇中に太った). He is getting chubby - (彼は太ってきている).

太鼓: "Drum". The Japanese noun '太鼓 (たいこ)' refers to a traditional Japanese drum. Drums are important instruments in Japanese music and culture, used in festivals, ceremonies, and various forms of classical and folk music. The taiko drum is typically a large, barrel-shaped drum made of wood and animal hide. It produces a deep, resonant sound when struck with specialized drumsticks. Taiko drumming is a dynamic and visually impressive art form. Examples: I enjoy the sound of the taiko drums - (太鼓の音が好きです). The taiko drummers performed at the festival - (太鼓の演奏者がお祭りで演奏しました).

太夫: "Geisha". The Japanese noun '太夫 (たゆう)' refers to a high-ranking geisha, one who is highly skilled and renowned. Geisha are traditional female entertainers in Japan who are trained in various arts such as music, dance, and conversation. A '太夫' is considered an elite geisha, often serving nobility and the upper class. They are known for their refined manners, elegant attire, and mastery of traditional Japanese arts. For example: The elegant 太夫 performed a graceful dance - (優雅な太夫が優雅な舞を披露した).

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 "た" is read as "ta". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". The hiragana "ふ" is read as "fu". And The hiragana "と" is read as "to".

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.