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What is the Kanji for 'Think' and 'Consider'? | 考

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Think' and 'Consider', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Think' and 'Consider' is 考.

    kanji

    考

    Meaning

    Think, Consider

    Reading

    kunyomiかんが

    kanga

    onyomiこう

    kou

    Parts

    耂Old (老)丂Breath obstruction

    Example Word

    思考: thought. The Japanese noun '思考 (しこう)' means 'thought' or 'thinking'. It refers to the process of using one's mind to consider or reason about something. This word is often used in contexts related to philosophy, psychology, or everyday reasoning. For example: deep thought「深い思考」(ふかいしこう). Logical thinking is important「論理的思考は重要だ」(ろんりてきしこうはじゅうようだ). It can also be used in compound words like '思考力 (しこうりょく)' (thinking ability) or '思考回路 (しこうかいろ)' (thought process). Note that '思考' is more formal and abstract compared to '考え (かんがえ)', which is more casual and personal.

    Radical

    老

    Stroke Count

    6

    JLPT

    N4

    Grade

    2

    Frequency

    91

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 考

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    radical

    耂

    Meaning

    Old

    Radical Form Of

    老

    radical

    丂

    Meaning

    Breath obstruction

考 As Part Of Other Kanji

This kanji appears as part of one other kanji:

    kanji

    拷

    Meaning

    Torture

Words Using 考

This kanji is used in 7 words:

    word

    考える

    Meaning

    Think

    word

    考え

    Meaning

    Thought, Idea

    word

    参考

    Meaning

    Reference

    word

    思考

    Meaning

    Thought

    word

    参考書

    Meaning

    Reference book

    word

    考察

    Meaning

    Consideration

    word

    考慮

    Meaning

    Consideration

Kanji Related to 考 Through the Part 耂

These 3 kanji contain the part 耂 as well.

    kanji

    者

    Meaning

    Someone

    kanji

    孝

    Meaning

    Filial piety

    kanji

    老

    Meaning

    Old, Aged

Kanji Related to 考 Through the Part 丂

These 3 kanji contain the part 丂 as well.

    kanji

    号

    Meaning

    Number

    kanji

    朽

    Meaning

    Rot, Decay

    kanji

    巧

    Meaning

    Skill, Adept

Learn the Kanji 考

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 考 mean?

考 means 'Think' and 'Consider'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N4 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.