Meet 良 in 良い, 良好 and 改良. Connect each whole word and its reading to a real context.

The idea

良 has 7 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram. Compare 良い（よい） with 良好（りょうこう）. Learn the reading with the whole word, not the character in isolation.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
良いよいI feel well today.
良好りょうこうMy relationship with my teacher is good.
改良かいりょうThis product has been improved.

Examples

  • 今日きょうは体からだの調子ちょうしが良よいです。I feel well today.
  • 気持きもちの良よい風かぜが吹ふいています。A pleasant breeze is blowing.
  • 先生せんせいとの関係かんけいは良好りょうこうです。My relationship with my teacher is good.
  • 昨日きのうより体からだの調子ちょうしが良よくなりました。I feel better than yesterday.
  • この製品せいひんは改良かいりょうされました。This product has been improved.
  • 良心りょうしんに従したがって行動こうどうしました。I acted according to my conscience.

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

Watch out

良い is read よい or いい, but its past and adverbial forms use よ: よかった and よく, not いかった or いく. 良好 is a more formal word for a good condition. Compare the lower strokes of 良 and 食.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 良い in hiragana.

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    よい / いい

    良い is read よい. In context: I feel well today.

  2. Write the reading of 良好 in hiragana.

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    りょうこう

    良好 is read りょうこう. In context: My relationship with my teacher is good.

  3. Write the missing kanji: 改＿（かいりょう）.

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    良

    良 completes 改良, read かいりょう. In context: This product has been improved.

Use it today

Write 良 three times using the stroke diagram. Cover the table, read 良い and 良好 aloud, then check their readings and meanings.