Japanese kanji 急: 急ぎます and 急行

The idea

急 has 9 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram. Learn 急ぎます (いそぎます) and 急行 (きゅうこう) as whole words: a character’s reading depends on the word.

Examples

• 時間じかんがないので駅えきへ急いそぎます。I hurry to the station because I have no time.
• 急行きゅうこうはこの駅えきに止とまります。The express train stops at this station.
• 急きゅうに雨あめが降ふりました。It suddenly started to rain.
• 特急とっきゅうの切符きっぷを駅えきで買かいます。I buy a limited express ticket at the station.
• 急いそいで家いえを出でました。I left home in a hurry.
• 急きゅうな用事ようじで今日きょうは行いけません。I cannot go today because something urgent came up.

Watch out

Here, 急ぎます means “hurries”; 急行 means “express train”. Compare 急ぎます (いそぎます) and 急行 (きゅうこう) in context: “I hurry to the station because I have no time.” and “The express train stops at this station.” The same character does not make the words interchangeable. Compare the shapes of 急 and 念 as well.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 急ぎます in hiragana.

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   いそぎます

   急ぎます is read いそぎます. In context: I hurry to the station because I have no time.

2. Write the reading of 急行 in hiragana.

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   きゅうこう

   急行 is read きゅうこう. In context: The express train stops at this station.

3. Write the missing kanji: ＿ぎます [急 / 念] (いそぎます).

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   急

   急 completes 急ぎます, read いそぎます. In context: I hurry to the station because I have no time.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 急 from memory, then read 急ぎます and 急行 aloud. Check the readings and contexts.