Japanese kanji 更: late night, change and renewal

The idea

更 has 7 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram. Compare 更ける（ふける） and 変更（へんこう）: learn each reading with the whole word.

Examples

• 夜よるが更ふけて、町まちは静しずかになりました。As the night grew late, the town became quiet.
• 夜よるが更ふける前まえに帰かえりましょう。Let’s go home before it gets late at night.
• 会議かいぎの日程にっていを変更へんこうしました。I changed the meeting schedule.
• 予定よていを変更へんこうしてもいいですか。May I change the plan?
• パスポートを更新こうしんする必要ひつようがあります。I need to renew my passport.
• アプリを最新版さいしんばんに更新こうしんしました。I updated the app to the latest version.

Watch out

夜が更ける means the night grows late; 変更 means a change, while 更新 means renewal or an update. 便 adds the person component 亻 to the left of 更.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 更ける in hiragana.

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   ふける

   更ける is read ふける. In context: As the night grew late, the town became quiet.

2. Write the reading of 変更 in hiragana.

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   へんこう

   変更 is read へんこう. In context: I changed the meeting schedule.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿新（こうしん）.

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   更

   更 completes 更新, read こうしん. In context: I need to renew my passport.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 更 from memory, and read 更ける and 変更 aloud. Then make a sentence with one of them.