県 refers to a Japanese prefecture. Learn it in names and words used in local government.

The idea

県 has 9 strokes and is read けん in 県, 県庁（けんちょう） and 県民（けんみん）. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram and learn each reading with the whole word.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingMeaning
県けんprefecture
県庁けんちょうprefectural government office
県民けんみんprefectural residents

Examples

  • 神奈川県かながわけんに住すんでいます。I live in Kanagawa Prefecture.
  • 友達ともだちは長野県ながのけんの出身しゅっしんです。My friend is from Nagano Prefecture.
  • 昨日きのう、県庁けんちょうへ行いきました。I went to the prefectural government office yesterday.
  • 県庁けんちょうは駅えきの近ちかくです。The prefectural government office is near the station.
  • 県民けんみんはこの図書館としょかんを利用りようできます。Prefectural residents can use this library.
  • 県けんの地図ちずを見みました。I looked at a map of the prefecture.

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

Watch out

Not every Japanese prefecture has the suffix 県: Tokyo is 東京都, Kyoto and Osaka use 府, and Hokkaido uses 道. Do not add 県 to those names.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 県 in hiragana.

    Show answer or example answer

    けん

    県 is read けん. In 神奈川県 it follows the name of Kanagawa.

  2. Write the reading of 県庁 in hiragana.

    Show answer or example answer

    けんちょう

    県庁 is read けんちょう and means the prefectural government office.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿民（けんみん）［県／目］.

    Show answer or example answer

    県

    県 completes 県民（けんみん）, meaning residents of a prefecture.

Use it today

Write 県 using the stroke-order diagram, then cover the table and read 県庁 and 県民. Make a sentence about a prefecture.