Recognize 電 in everyday Japanese. Start with its meaning, electricity; electric light, then learn to read it in whole words such as 電気 and 電話.

The idea

Kanji may have Japanese-origin and Chinese-origin readings; learn each with its word. Compare 電気（でんき） and 電話（でんわ）. 電 has 13 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
電気でんきelectricity; electric light
電話でんわtelephone; phone call
電車でんしゃelectric train

Examples

  • 会社かいしゃまで電車でんしゃで行いきます。I go to the office by train.
  • 午前ごぜん九時くじに電車でんしゃが出でます。The train leaves at nine in the morning.
  • 午前ごぜんに母ははへ電話でんわをかけます。I call my mother in the morning.
  • 部屋へやの電気でんきを消けします。I turn off the light in the room.
  • 友達ともだちに電話でんわをかけます。I call a friend.
  • 電車でんしゃで新聞しんぶんを読よみます。I read the newspaper on the train.

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

Watch out

電車 is an electric train; 電話 is a phone or call, and 電気 is electricity or light. Compare the shape of 電 with 雨 so you do not confuse them.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 電気 in hiragana.

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    でんき

    電気 is read でんき; it means electricity; electric light. Learn the reading as part of this word.

  2. Write the reading of 電話 in hiragana.

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    でんわ

    電話 is read でんわ; it means telephone; phone call. Learn the reading as part of this word.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿車（でんしゃ）.

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    電

    電 completes 電車, read でんしゃ; the word means electric train.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 電 from memory, and read 電気 and 電話 aloud. Then check the readings and meanings.