Japanese kanji 場: place

The idea

Kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on). Compare 場所 (ばしょ) and 工場 (こうじょう). 場 has 12 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram for their order.

Examples

• ここは静しずかな場所ばしょです。This is a quiet place.
• 待まち合あわせの場所ばしょを教おしえてください。Please tell me where we are meeting.
• 父ちちは工場こうじょうで働はたらいています。My father works in a factory.
• あの工場こうじょうは新あたらしいです。That factory is new.
• 会場かいじょうは駅えきの近ちかくです。The venue is near the station.
• 会場かいじょうへ一緒いっしょに行いきましょう。Let’s go to the venue together.

Watch out

場所 (ばしょ) means place; 工場 (こうじょう) means factory. Learn the reading with the whole word. 場所 is a place in general; 工場 is a factory, and 会場 is the venue for an event. Compare the indicated parts of 場 and 湯: 土 and 氵.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 場所 in hiragana.

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   ばしょ

   場所 is read ばしょ and means place. Remember the reading of the whole word.

2. Write the reading of 工場 in hiragana.

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   こうじょう

   工場 is read こうじょう and means factory. Remember the reading of the whole word.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: 会＿（かいじょう）.

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   場

   場 completes 会場, read かいじょう; the completed word means venue.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 場 from memory, and read 場所 and 工場 aloud. Check their readings and meanings.