ChiramiN4 kanji · 14 strokes
歌 means sing, song
可 an open mouth · 可 another open mouth · 欠 a wide-open mouth
歌Memory trick
Mouths open again and again (可 可), and one wide open (欠): to sing, a song.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- song, sing
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 14
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) うた uta
うた (uta) 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: うたう utau
From Chinese (onyomi) カ ka
カ (ka) 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
歌う うたう · utau
to sing
Built from
- 一 one
- 口 mouth
- 亅 hook
- 欠 lack
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
欠 Used in 19 kanji
Quick check
What does 歌 mean?
Right: 歌 means sing, song.Not quite: 歌 means sing, song.In 歌う, which reading does 歌 use?
Right. 歌う is read うたう (utau): 歌 takes うた, its Japanese reading, with う after it.Not quite. 歌う is read うたう (utau): 歌 takes うた, its Japanese reading, with う after it.