Explore 築 in physical construction and in building trust or systems.

The idea

築 has 16 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 築く is read きずく, while 建築 and 構築 use ちく. 築 plus an age, as in 築百年, gives the time since construction.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReading
築くきずく
建築けんちく
構築こうちく
築百年ちくひゃくねん

Examples

  • 町まちに新あたらしい橋はしを築きずきました。A new bridge was built in the town.
  • 二人ふたりは長ながい時間じかんをかけて信頼しんらいを築きずきました。The two built trust over a long time.
  • この建物たてものは築ちく百年ひゃくねんです。This building is a hundred years old.
  • 父ちちは建築けんちくを学まなびました。My father studied architecture.
  • 会社かいしゃは新あたらしいシステムを構築こうちくしました。The company built a new system.
  • 城しろの周まわりに石垣いしがきを築きずきました。They built a stone wall around the castle.

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

Watch out

築く is a transitive verb: it takes an object such as a wall or trust. Do not confuse it with 気づく, to notice, which sounds the same.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 築く in hiragana.

    Show answer or example answer

    きずく

    築く is きずく: it means to build or establish, as with trust.

  2. Write the reading of 建築 in hiragana.

    Show answer or example answer

    けんちく

    建築 is けんちく, meaning architecture or construction; the compound uses ちく.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: 構＿（こうちく）［築／竹］.

    Show answer or example answer

    築

    築 completes 構築（こうちく）, building or establishing a system. 竹 alone is a different character.

Use it today

Write 築 using the stroke diagram. Cover the table, read 築く and 建築, then make a sentence with one.