枯 describes something losing its vitality or drying up. Learn it in complete words and contexts.

The idea

枯 has nine strokes. 枯れる（かれる） is intransitive: a plant withers or water dries up. 枯らす（からす） is transitive: someone causes it to wither. 枯渇（こかつ） means depletion.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingExample
枯れるかれるThe flowers in the garden withered.
枯らすからすI let the flowers wither by not watering them.
枯渇こかつI am worried about the depletion of water resources.

Examples

  • 庭にわの花はなが枯かれました。The flowers in the garden withered.
  • 水みずをやらずに花はなを枯からしました。I let the flowers wither by not watering them.
  • 秋あきになると葉はが枯かれます。The leaves wither when autumn comes.
  • 池いけの水みずが枯かれました。The pond dried up.
  • 歌うたいすぎて声こえが枯かれました。My voice became hoarse from singing too much.
  • 水資源みずしげんの枯渇こかつが心配しんぱいです。I am worried about the depletion of water resources.

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

Watch out

枯れる and 枯らす differ in who causes the change. 声が枯れる describes a hoarse voice, not a plant.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 枯れる in hiragana.

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    かれる

    枯れる is かれる: the flower withers. Learn the reading with the whole verb.

  2. Write the reading of 枯らす in hiragana.

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    からす

    枯らす is からす: someone causes a plant to wither. The object takes を.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿渇（こかつ）［枯／古］.

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    枯

    枯 completes 枯渇（こかつ）, the depletion of a resource.

Use it today

Write 枯 using the linked stroke diagram, then make a sentence with 枯れる and another with 枯らす.