What is the Kanji for "Urgent"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Urgent" is "急".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Iso".

Its onyomi reading is "Kyuu".

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 "心" means "Heart" and can be read as "Shin" and "Kokoro". And The radical "刍" means "Mow" .

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

What does the kanji "急" mean in japanese?

"急" means "Urgent".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

急に: "Suddenly". The adverb '急に (きゅうに)' means 'suddenly'. This adverb is used to describe an action or event that occurs abruptly or unexpectedly, without warning. It can be used to describe a rapid or drastic change in a situation. For example: He suddenly left the room - (彼は急に部屋から出て行った). The weather changed suddenly - (天気が急に変わった).

急: "Urgency". The Japanese word '急 (きゅう)' is an adjectival noun that means 'urgency'. It refers to a sense of hurriedness, quickness or immediate necessity. This word is often used to describe situations that require prompt action or attention. For example: There is an urgent matter I must attend to - (急な用事がある). The patient's condition requires urgent care - (患者の状態は急を要する).

急行: "Express". The Japanese noun '急行 (きゅうこう)' means 'express'. It refers to a fast train service that makes fewer stops than local or regional trains, allowing it to travel at a higher speed. Express trains are a common feature of rail transportation in Japan. For example: I'll take the express train - (急行に乗ります). The express train just arrived - (急行が到着しました).

急度: "Surely" or "Definitely". The Japanese adverb '急度(きっと)' means 'surely' or 'definitely'. It is used to express a high degree of certainty about a statement or action. It can be used to emphasize the speaker's confidence in the information being conveyed. For example: I will definitely go - (私は急度行きます). You will surely pass the test - (あなたは急度試験に合格するでしょう).

特急: "Express train". The Japanese noun '特急 (とっきゅう)' refers to an 'express train'. This type of train is designed to travel at high speeds and make fewer stops compared to regular trains, in order to reach the destination more quickly. Express trains are often used for long-distance travel between major cities. For example: We took the express train to Kyoto - (京都まで特急に乗りました). I need to catch the 8 AM express train - (8時の特急に乗らないと)

救急車: "Ambulance". The Japanese noun '救急車 (きゅうきゅうしゃ)' refers to an ambulance, which is a vehicle specially equipped to transport sick or injured people to a hospital. Ambulances are an important part of emergency medical services and are used to respond quickly to medical emergencies. For example: Call an ambulance - (救急車を呼んでください). I rode in an ambulance to the hospital - (病院へ救急車に乗って行きました).

急ぐ: "Hurry" or "Rush". The Japanese verb '急ぐ (いそぐ)' means 'to hurry' or 'to rush'. This verb expresses the action of moving or doing something quickly, often due to a sense of urgency or time constraints. It can be used to describe a person's actions, such as walking or working quickly. For example: I hurry to the station - (駅に急ぐ). Let's hurry up! - (急ごうよ!)

大急ぎ: "Haste". The Japanese adjectival noun '大急ぎ (おおいそぎ)' means 'haste'. This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone is acting or moving very quickly, often due to urgency or necessity. It conveys a sense of hurried activity or a pressing need to complete something immediately. For example: She's in a big hurry - (彼女は大急ぎだ). Please do this with haste - (これを大急ぎで行ってください).

急用: "Urgent matter". The noun 急用 (きゅうよう) means 'urgent matter'. It refers to a situation or task that requires immediate attention and needs to be dealt with quickly. This word is often used to describe a sudden, unexpected, and pressing issue that takes priority over other activities. For example: I have to leave early today because of an urgent matter - (急用があるので今日は早退しなければなりません). The company suddenly had an urgent matter to attend to - (会社で急用が発生したので)

急増: "Soar". The Japanese verbal noun '急増 (きゅうぞう)' means 'to soar'. This term is used to describe a rapid and significant increase in something, such as a population, sales, prices, etc. It suggests a sharp, unexpected rise that happens quickly. For example: The company's profits soared last quarter - (同社の利益は前四半期に急増しました). Unemployment rates soared during the recession - (不景気の際に失業率が急増した).

急速: "Rapid". The Japanese adjective '急速 (きゅうそく)' means 'rapid'. This adjective is used to describe something that happens or moves at a very fast pace or speed. It can be used to describe changes, processes, or the rate at which something occurs. For example: The economy is growing at a rapid pace - (経済は急速に成長している). The runner sprinted at a rapid speed - (走者は急速なスピードで疾走した).

急病: "Sudden illness". The Japanese noun '急病 (きゅうびょう)' means 'sudden illness'. This term refers to an abrupt, unexpected onset of a health condition that requires immediate medical attention. It is used to describe situations where someone suddenly falls ill, often with severe symptoms that demand prompt medical care. For example: He was rushed to the hospital due to a sudden illness - (彼は急病のため病院に緊急搬送された).

準急: "Semi-express". The noun '準急 (じゅんきゅう)' refers to a type of train that is faster than a local train but slower than an express train. Semi-express trains typically have fewer stops between stations compared to local trains. They are a common form of commuter rail service in Japan. For example: The semi-express train arrived - (準急が到着した).

緊急: "Urgent". The adjectival noun '緊急 (きんきゅう)' means 'urgent'. This word is used to describe a situation or event that requires immediate attention or action, due to its importance or critical nature. It conveys a sense of necessity and high priority. For example: There is an urgent matter that needs your attention - (緊急の件で、あなたの注意が必要です). This is an urgent situation, we need to act quickly - (これは緊急の事態です。迅速に行動する必要があります).

急激: "Sudden" or "Drastic". The adjectival noun '急激 (きゅうげき)' means 'sudden' or 'drastic'. It is used to describe a change or event that happens rapidly or abruptly, without gradual progression. It can describe both physical and abstract changes, such as a sudden drop in temperature or a drastic shift in policy. For example: The stock market experienced a sudden drop - (株式市場は急激な下落を経験した). The new law was a drastic change - (新しい法律は急激な変化だった).

救急: "Emergency". The Japanese noun '救急 (きゅうきゅう)' refers to a state of emergency or a situation requiring immediate assistance. This word is commonly used to describe medical emergencies or situations where quick action is required, such as calling an ambulance or going to the hospital. For example: The ambulance arrived at the emergency scene - (救急車が現場に到着した). I need to go to the emergency room - (救急に行かなければいけない).

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 "き" is read as "ki". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". And The hiragana "そ" is read as "so".

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.