源
源 — Source
source, origin
On’yomiゲン (gen)
Kun’yomiみなもと (minamoto)
Stroke order (13 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 源
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 財源 | ざいげん zaigen | source of funds; resources; finances |
| 資源 | しげん shigen | resources |
| 源 | みなもと minamoto | source (of a river); fountainhead; source |
| 震源 | しんげん shingen | hypocentre (of an earthquake); hypocenter; focus |
| 電源 | でんげん dengen | source of electricity; electrical power; power (button on TV, etc.) |
| 根源 | こんげん kongen | root; source; origin |
Study notes
源 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 13 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #738 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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