Japanese kanji 田: rice paddy

The idea

田 has 5 strokes; follow the order in the linked KanjiVG diagram. Read 田んぼ as たんぼ and 田中 as たなか. Learn each reading together with the whole word and its meaning.

Examples

• 家いえの前まえに田たんぼがあります。There is a rice paddy in front of the house.
• 田中たなかさんは学校がっこうの先生せんせいです。Tanaka is a teacher at the school.
• 水田すいでんに水みずがあります。There is water in the rice paddy.
• 田たんぼの近ちかくをゆっくり歩あるきます。I walk slowly near the rice paddy.
• 山田やまださんは田中たなかさんと話はなします。Yamada talks with Tanaka.
• この田たは広ひろくてきれいです。This rice paddy is large and beautiful.

Watch out

田んぼ means a rice paddy; 田中 is a surname. Names need their own readings, so learn 田中 as たなか.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 田んぼ in hiragana.

   Show answer or example answer

   たんぼ

   田んぼ is read たんぼ; it means rice paddy. Remember the reading with the complete word.

2. Write the reading of 田中 in hiragana.

   Show answer or example answer

   たなか

   田中 is read たなか; it means Tanaka (surname). Remember the reading with the complete word.

3. Complete the missing kanji from this lesson: 水＿（すいでん）.

   Show answer or example answer

   田

   田 completes 水田, read すいでん; the complete expression means flooded rice field.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 田 from memory in stroke order, and read 田んぼ and 田中 aloud. Then check their readings and meanings.