KaiwaGo語 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
語 means “language, word”. It is written with 14 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ゴ (go). Kun’yomi: かた.る (kataru), かた.らう (katarau).
How to write 語 (stroke order)
Write 語 in 14 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 語
Trace 語 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 語
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ゴ (go) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | かた.る (kataru)かた.らう (katarau) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 語 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 語
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日本語 | にほんご nihongo | Japanese (language) | |
| 英語 | えいご eigo | English (language) |
日本語 (nihongo) means “Japanese (language)”. Also in this word: 日本
英語 (eigo) means “English (language)”.
FAQ
What does 語 mean in Japanese?
語 means “language, word”. Common words with it are 日本語 (nihongo, “Japanese (language)”) and 英語 (eigo, “English (language)”).
How many strokes does 語 have?
語 has 14 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 14.
How do you read 語?
The on’yomi is ゴ (go) and the kun’yomi is かた.る (kataru), かた.らう (katarau). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 語 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 語 is kanji number 58 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.