根
根 — Root
root, radical, head (pimple)
On’yomiコン (kon)
Kun’yomiね (ne)
Kun’yomi-ね (ne)
Stroke order (10 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 根
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 根拠 | こんきょ konkyo | basis; grounds; foundation |
| 根 | ね ne | root (of a plant); root (of a tooth, hair, etc.); center (of a pimple, etc.) |
| 屋根 | やね yane | roof |
| 根本 | こんぽん konpon | root; source; origin |
| 草の根 | くさのね kusanone | roots of grass; places hidden from sight; grassroots (e.g. of a political party) |
| 根幹 | こんかん konkan | foundation; root; basis |
Study notes
根 is a JLPT N2 kanji written with 10 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #620 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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