Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 活

Level:N3 Mid
Strokes:9
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji primarily conveys the idea of "life," "liveliness," "activity," or "to be active." It suggests energy, vitality, and the state of being alive and functioning. It also implies a dynamic state, where something is in motion or actively participating. The core concept revolves around the essence of life and its associated characteristics.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): カツ (katsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): いき (iki) - to live, life.

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 生活 (せいかつ) Translation: Life; Living; Daily life. ⚫︎ 活動 (かつどう) Translation: Activity; Action; Operation. ⚫︎ 活発 (かっぱつ) Translation: Active; Vigorous; Lively.

Correspondence with Your Native Language

I am unable to provide a reliable source of information about the correspondence between the kanji character and your native language. Therefore, I will omit this section.

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side, , is the radical for "water" (水, みず), representing fluidity and life's essential element. The right side, (した), originally meant "tongue," but it carries a phonetic function, indicating the sound "katsu." The combination suggests the idea of "active water," or water that is moving and flowing, hence representing the concept of being active, alive, or lively.

Menus