言
言 — Say
say, word
On’yomiゲン (gen)
On’yomiゴン (gon)
Kun’yomiいう (iu)
Kun’yomiこと (koto)
Stroke order (7 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 言
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言わば | いわば iwaba | so to speak; so to call it; as it were |
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | language; dialect; word |
| 宣言 | せんげん sengen | declaration; proclamation; announcement |
| 発言 | はつげん hatsugen | statement; remark; observation |
| 言う | いう iu | to say; to utter; to declare |
| 証言 | しょうげん shougen | testimony; (verbal) evidence |
Study notes
言 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 7 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #83 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).
🔊 Tap the big kanji, any reading or any example word to hear it.