What is the Kanji for "Walk"?

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

The Japanese Kanji for "Walk" is "歩".

This kanji has 4 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Aru" and "Ayu".

Its onyomi readings are "Ho" and "Bu".

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 "止" means "Stop" and can be read as "Ya", "Shi", and "To". And The kanji "少" means "Few" and can be read as "Shou", "Suku", and "Suko".

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

What does the kanji "歩" mean in japanese?

"歩" means "Walk".

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

Here are some words that use this kanji:

歩く: "Walk". The verb '歩く (あるく)' means 'to walk'. This verb is used to describe the act of moving one's feet in order to advance or cover distance. It can be used to refer to walking as a means of transportation, as well as in more general contexts. For example: I will walk to the store - (私は店まで歩いていきます). Let's go for a walk - (散歩しましょう).

歩道: "Sidewalk". The Japanese noun '歩道 (ほどう)' refers to a paved path or walkway designated for pedestrians, typically found alongside roads or streets. It is a dedicated space for people to walk, separate from the vehicle traffic. For example: Please walk on the sidewalk - (歩道を歩いてください). The sidewalk is crowded today - (歩道が混雑しています).

横断歩道: "Crosswalk". The Japanese noun '横断歩道(おうだんほどう)' refers to a designated area on a road where pedestrians can safely cross. It is marked by painted lines or signs to indicate the crossing point. Pedestrians are expected to use the crosswalk when available, as it alerts drivers to the presence of people crossing. For example: I always use the crosswalk to get to the other side of the street - (道を渡るときは、いつも横断歩道を使います).

歩: "Step". The Japanese suffix '歩(ほ)' means 'step'. It is commonly used to indicate a unit of measurement for distance or walking. For example: 一歩歩く (ひとほあるく) - Take one step, 五十歩(ごじっぽ) - 50 steps.

散歩: "Walk". The verbal noun '散歩 (さんぽ)' means 'walk'. It refers to the act of taking a leisurely stroll or walk, often for exercise or enjoyment. '散歩 (さんぽ)' can be used as both a noun and a verb in Japanese. For example: I went for a walk - (散歩に行きました). Let's go for a walk - (散歩に行きましょう).

初歩: "Basics". The noun '初歩 (しょほ)' refers to the most fundamental or elementary level of something. It is used to describe the basic knowledge, skills or principles that form the foundation of a subject or field of study. For example: He is still learning the basics of computer programming - (彼はまだコンピュータープログラミングの初歩を学習しています). The basics of grammar - (文法の初歩).

進歩: "Progress". The Japanese verbal noun '進歩 (しんぽ)' means 'progress'. It refers to the act of moving or developing forward, such as the advancement or improvement of something over time. This word is often used to describe the development or evolution of technology, science, society, or an individual's skills and knowledge. For example: The progress of technology has been rapid - (技術の進歩は急速である). We must continue to make progress in our studies - (私たちは学習において進歩し続けなければならない).

歩む: "Walk". The Japanese verb '歩む (あゆむ)' means 'to walk'. It is used to describe the act of moving by placing one foot in front of the other. This verb is commonly used in formal or literary contexts, and can evoke a sense of purposeful or measured movement. For example: She walked slowly down the path - (彼女はゆっくりと小道を歩んだ). The soldiers marched bravely into battle - (兵士たちは勇ましく戦場へ歩んでいった).

徒歩: "Walking". The noun '徒歩 (とほ)' means 'walking'. This term refers to the act of traveling on foot, without the use of any form of transportation such as a vehicle. It is commonly used to describe a mode of transportation or a way of getting from one place to another. For example: I prefer walking to the office - (私は徒歩で事務所に行くことを好みます). We can go there on foot - (そこまで徒歩で行くことができます).

歩行者: "Pedestrian". The Japanese noun '歩行者 (ほこうしゃ)' means 'pedestrian'. This word refers to a person who is walking or traveling on foot, rather than using a vehicle. Pedestrians typically use sidewalks, crosswalks, and other designated areas for walking. For example: The pedestrian crossed the street carefully - (歩行者は気をつけて道路を渡った). Look out for pedestrians when driving - (運転する際は歩行者に気をつけましょう).

歩行者天国: "Pedestrian zone". The Japanese noun '歩行者天国 (ほこうしゃてんごく)' refers to a pedestrian zone or area that is closed off to vehicular traffic, allowing only pedestrians to access the area. These zones are commonly found in urban areas and are intended to promote a more walkable and safe environment for people. For example: The downtown area has been turned into a pedestrian zone on the weekends - (ダウンタウンの地域は週末に歩行者天国になります).

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 "ほ" is read as "ho". The hiragana "ぶ" is read as "bu". The hiragana "あ" is read as "a". The hiragana "る" is read as "ru". And The hiragana "ゆ" is read as "yu".

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.