ChiramiN4 kanji · 12 strokes
軽 means light
車 cart · 又 hand · 土 ground
軽Memory trick
A cart (車) light enough to push by hand (又): light.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- lightly, trifling, unimportant
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 12
- School grade
- Grade 3 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) かるい karui
かるい (karui) 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.
Other Japanese readings: かろやか karoyaka, かろんじる karonjiru
From Chinese (onyomi) ケイ kei
ケイ (kei) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: キョウ kyou, キン kin
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
軽い かるい · karui
light, feeling light
Built from
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
車 Used in 24 kanji
See all 3 at N5 and N4又 Used in 92 kanji
See all 5 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 軽 mean?
Right: 軽 means light.Not quite: 軽 means light.In 軽い, which reading does 軽 use?
Right. 軽い is read かるい (karui): 軽 takes かる, its Japanese reading, with い after it.Not quite. 軽い is read かるい (karui): 軽 takes かる, its Japanese reading, with い after it.