Japanese kanji 転: 自転車 and 運転

The idea

転 has 11 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Read 自転車 as じてんしゃ and 運転 as うんてん. N4 is an estimated learning level, not an official JLPT kanji list.

Examples

• 母ははは自転車じてんしゃで会社かいしゃに行いきます。My mother goes to work by bicycle.
• 父ちちは車くるまを運転うんてんします。My father drives a car.
• 雨あめの日ひはゆっくり運転うんてんします。I drive slowly on rainy days.
• 子こどもが道みちで転ころびました。A child fell on the road.
• 自転車じてんしゃで駅えきまで行いきます。I go to the station by bicycle.
• 毎日まいにち自転車じてんしゃを使つかいます。I use a bicycle every day.

Watch out

Compare the shapes of 転 and 車. Read whole words: 自転車 means bicycle, whereas 運転 means driving. 自転車 is a bicycle, while 転ぶ describes falling over; learn their different readings.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 自転車 in hiragana.

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   じてんしゃ

   自転車 is read じてんしゃ and means bicycle. In the example: My mother goes to work by bicycle.

2. Write the reading of 運転 in hiragana.

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   うんてん

   運転 is read うんてん and means driving. In the example: My father drives a car.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: 運＿（うんてん）［転／車］.

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   転

   転 completes 運転, read うんてん; the word means driving.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 転 from memory, then read 自転車 and 運転 aloud. Check their readings and meanings.