Japanese kanji 林: woods, forests and forestry

The idea

林 has eight strokes and consists of two 木 components. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Alone it is 林（はやし）; in 森林（しんりん） and 林業（りんぎょう） it is read りん.

Examples

• 学校がっこうの裏うらに小ちいさな林はやしがあります。There is a small wood behind the school.
• 私わたしたちは林はやしの中なかを歩あるきました。We walked through the woods.
• 林はやしで鳥とりが鳴ないています。Birds are singing in the woods.
• この森林しんりんにはたくさんの動物どうぶつが住すんでいます。This forest is home to many animals.
• 森林しんりんを守まもることは大切たいせつです。It is important to protect forests.
• 祖父そふは林業りんぎょうの仕事しごとをしていました。My grandfather worked in forestry.

Watch out

林 and 森 look similar: 林 has two 木 components, while 森 has three. 林 often means a wood or grove; 森林 refers to forest. The distinction is not a strict rule about size.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 林 in hiragana.

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   はやし

   林 is はやし: a wood or grove. In the example, a small wood is behind the school.

2. Write the reading of 森林 in hiragana.

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   しんりん

   森林 is しんりん, meaning forest. Remember the compound as a whole, with 林 read りん.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿業（りんぎょう）［林／森］.

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   林

   林 completes 林業（りんぎょう）, forestry. 森 would not form this word.

Use it today

Write 林 using the diagram, then cover the table and read 林 and 森林. Make a sentence about a place with trees.