Explore 丸 in shapes and expressions for an entire object or period. Learn its readings in complete words.
The idea
丸 has three strokes; follow the linked diagram. 丸い（まるい） means round, 丸ごと（まるごと） means whole, and 丸薬（がんやく） means a pill.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 丸い | まるい | round |
| 丸ごと | まるごと | whole |
| 丸薬 | がんやく | pill |
Examples
- 今夜の月は丸いです。The moon is round tonight.
- 紙に丸を描いてください。Please draw a circle on the paper.
- りんごを丸ごと食べました。I ate a whole apple.
- 猫が丸くなって眠りました。The cat curled up and slept.
- 丸一日掃除をしました。I spent a whole day cleaning.
- 丸薬を水で飲みました。I took the pill with water.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
丸 and 九 look similar, but 丸 has an extra dot. 丸ごと means the whole thing; it does not necessarily describe its shape.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 丸い in hiragana.
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まるい
丸い is まるい: the moon is round. The い belongs to the adjective.
Write the reading of 丸薬 in hiragana.
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がんやく
丸薬 is がんやく, using the reading がん in this compound.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿ごと［丸／九］.
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丸
丸 makes 丸ごと, meaning the whole thing; 九 is the number nine.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 丸い in hiragana.
Write the reading of 丸薬 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿ごと［丸／九］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 丸 using the stroke diagram, then cover the table and use 丸い and 丸ごと in sentences.