Explore 運 through carrying, exercise and driving. The examples connect whole words and their readings to everyday contexts.

The idea

運 has 12 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram. Read 運ぶ(はこぶ) and 運動(うんどう) as complete words: a character’s reading depends on the word.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
運ぶはこぶTanaka carries the packages.
運動うんどうI am not exercising today.
運転うんてんMy father drives a car.

Examples

  • 田中たなかさんは荷物にもつを運はこびます。Tanaka carries the packages.
  • 今日きょうは運動うんどうをしません。I am not exercising today.
  • 父ちちは車くるまを運転うんてんします。My father drives a car.
  • この箱はこを部屋へやまで運はこびます。I carry this box to the room.
  • 毎朝まいあさ公園こうえんで運動うんどうします。I exercise in the park every morning.
  • 姉あねはバスを運転うんてんします。My older sister drives a bus.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

運ぶ is carrying, 運動 is exercise, and 運転 is driving or operating a vehicle. They share a character, not a single meaning. Compare the shape of 運 with 連.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 運ぶ in hiragana.

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    はこぶ

    運ぶ is read はこぶ. In context: Tanaka carries the packages.

  2. Write the reading of 運動 in hiragana.

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    うんどう

    運動 is read うんどう. In context: I am not exercising today.

  3. Complete the missing kanji: _ぶ(はこぶ)[運/連].

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    運

    運 completes 運ぶ, read はこぶ. In context: Tanaka carries the packages.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 運 from memory, and read 運ぶ and 運動 aloud. Then check their readings and make a sentence.