N4 kanji · 9 strokes
研 means polish, study
研
石 stone
研Memory trick
Rubbing on a stone (石) until it's smooth: to polish, to study hard.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- polish, study of, sharpen
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 9
- School grade
- Grade 3 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) とぐ togu
とぐ (togu) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
From Chinese (onyomi) ケン ken
ケン (ken) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
研究 けんきゅう · kenkyuu
research, study
Built from
- 石 stone
- 口 mouth
- 二 two
- 一 one
- 丿 a sweeping stroke
- 丨 a line
- 亅 hook
- 廾 two hands
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
廾 Used in 38 kanji
See all 3 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 研 mean?
Right: 研 means polish, study.Not quite: 研 means polish, study.In 研究, which reading does 研 use?
Right. 研究 is read けんきゅう (kenkyuu): 研 takes ケン, its reading from Chinese.Not quite. 研究 is read けんきゅう (kenkyuu): 研 takes ケン, its reading from Chinese.