持
持 — Hold
hold, have
On’yomiジ (ji)
Kun’yomiもつ (motsu)
Kun’yomi-もち (mochi)
Kun’yomiもてる (moteru)
Stroke order (9 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 持
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 維持 | いじ iji | maintenance; preservation; improvement |
| 支持 | しじ shiji | support; backing; endorsement |
| 気持ち | きもち kimochi | feeling; sensation; mood |
| 持ち込む | もちこむ mochikomu | to bring in; to take in; to carry in |
| 保持 | ほじ hoji | retention; maintenance; preservation |
| 持ち | もち mochi | having; holding; possessing |
Study notes
持 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 9 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #119 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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