What is the Kanji for "Trunk" and "Main"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Trunk" and "Main" is "幹".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Miki".

Its onyomi reading is "Kan".

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 "車" means "Car" and can be read as "Kuruma" and "Sha". And The kanji "干" means "Dry" and can be read as "Hi", "Kan", and "Ho".

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

What does the kanji "幹" mean in japanese?

"幹" means "Trunk" and "Main".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Fifth Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N1 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

新幹線: "Bullet train". The Japanese noun '新幹線 (しんかんせん)' refers to the high-speed rail network in Japan, commonly known as the 'bullet train'. These trains are characterized by their sleek, aerodynamic design and impressive speeds, often reaching over 200 mph. The 新幹線 network connects major cities across the country, providing a fast and efficient mode of transportation. For example: I took the bullet train to Tokyo - (東京に新幹線で行きました).

幹部: "Executive". The Japanese noun '幹部 (かんぶ)' refers to a high-ranking or senior member of an organization, such as the management or leadership team. This term is often used to describe executives, directors, or other individuals in a position of authority within a company, government, or other institution. For example: The executives held a meeting - (幹部が会議を開いた). She is one of the executives at the company - (彼女はその会社の幹部の1人である).

幹線: "Main line". The Japanese noun '幹線 (かんせん)' refers to a 'main line', which typically denotes a major transportation route such as a highway, railway, or communications network. This word is often used to distinguish these primary, high-capacity routes from smaller, secondary routes. For example: The traffic on the main line highway was very heavy - (幹線道路の交通は非常に込み合っていた). Our company's main line of business is manufacturing - (当社の幹線事業は製造業です).

幹: "Trunk". The Japanese noun '幹 (みき)' refers to the main woody stem of a tree, typically the largest part that supports the branches and leaves. It is used to describe the thick, central part of a tree or plant. For example: The thick trunk of the oak tree - (あのオークの大きな幹). The sturdy trunk provides support - (丈夫な幹が支えにもなっている).

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 "か" is read as "ka". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "み" is read as "mi". And The hiragana "き" is read as "ki".

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.