Recognise 残 in words such as 残る and 残す. Learn the whole word together with its reading and meaning.

The idea

Read 残る as のこる and 残す as のこす. 残 has 10 strokes; use the linked KanjiVG diagram to follow their order. Many kanji have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on); learn each with its word. N3 is an approximate learning level, not an official JLPT kanji list.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
残るのこるto remain; be left
残すのこすto leave; leave behind
残業ざんぎょうovertime work

Examples

  • 机つくえの上うえに手紙てがみが残のこっています。A letter remains on the desk.
  • あと十分じゅっぷんだけ残のこっています。Only ten minutes remain.
  • ケーキを一切ひときれ残のこしました。I left one slice of cake.
  • いすを一ひとつ残のこしておきます。I will leave one chair.
  • 昨日きのうは夜よるまで残業ざんぎょうしました。I worked overtime until night yesterday.
  • 今日きょうは残業ざんぎょうがありません。There is no overtime today.

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

Watch out

残る is intransitive: something remains. 残す is transitive: someone leaves something. 余る specifically suggests a surplus. Compare the shapes of 残 and 浅; they are different characters.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 残る in hiragana.

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    のこる

    残る is read のこる; it means to remain; be left.

  2. Write the reading of 残す in hiragana.

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    のこす

    残す is read のこす; it means to leave; leave behind.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿業（ざんぎょう）.

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    残

    残 completes 残業, read ざんぎょう; it means overtime work.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 残 from memory, and read 残る and 残す aloud. Then use one in a sentence.