Recognize 店 in everyday Japanese, learn its meanings (shop) and read it as part of complete words.

The idea

A kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on); learn each reading with its word. Compare 店（みせ） and 書店（しょてん） in the table. 店 has 8 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
店みせshop
書店しょてんbookshop
喫茶店きっさてんcafé
店員てんいんshop assistant

Examples

  • この店みせは朝あさの九時くじに開あきます。This shop opens at nine in the morning.
  • 駅えきの近ちかくにお店みせがあります。There is a shop near the station.
  • 書店しょてんで新あたらしい本ほんを買かいます。I buy a new book at the bookshop.
  • 喫茶店きっさてんで友達ともだちと話はなします。I talk with a friend at a café.
  • 店員てんいんに値段ねだんを聞ききます。I ask the shop assistant the price.
  • あの店みせのパンはおいしいです。The bread at that shop is delicious.

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

Watch out

店 is read みせ, while 書店 is read しょてん. Learn the reading of each complete word; the character does not have just one pronunciation. 店 is read みせ as a word and てん in 書店. お店 is a polite everyday way to say “shop”.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 店 in hiragana.

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    みせ

    店 is read みせ; the expression means “shop”.

  2. Write the reading of 書店 in hiragana.

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    しょてん

    書店 is read しょてん; the expression means “bookshop”.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: 書＿（しょてん）.

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    店

    店 completes 書店, read しょてん; the expression means “bookshop”.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 店 from memory, and read 店 and 書店 aloud. Check both the readings and meanings.