Recognize 入 in everyday Japanese and connect its meanings, enter and put in, with whole words in context.

The idea

Compare 入る（はいる） and 入れる（いれる） in the table: a character can have different readings in different words. 入 has 2 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
入るはいるenter; go in
入れるいれるput in; add
入口いりぐちentrance
入学にゅうがくentering a school or university

Examples

  • 子こどもが部屋へやに入はいります。The child enters the room.
  • 猫ねこが箱はこに入はいっています。The cat is inside the box.
  • 水みずをコップに入いれます。I put water in the glass.
  • ここが入口いりぐちです。This is the entrance.
  • 入口いりぐちで友達ともだちを待まちます。I wait for a friend at the entrance.
  • 兄あには四月しがつに大学だいがくに入学にゅうがくします。My older brother will enter university in April.

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

Watch out

入る is intransitive: a person or thing goes in. 入れる is transitive: someone puts something in. Do not confuse the shape of 入 with 人; look closely at the two strokes.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 入る in hiragana.

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    はいる

    入る is read はいる; the complete word means enter; go in.

  2. Write the reading of 入れる in hiragana.

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    いれる

    入れる is read いれる; the complete word means put in; add.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿口（いりぐち）.

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    入

    入 completes 入口, read いりぐち; the complete word means entrance.

Use it today

Cover the table and write 入 from memory. Read 入る and 入れる aloud, then make a sentence and check its meaning against the examples.