Japanese kanji 若: young people and junior members

The idea

若 has 8 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram. Compare 若い（わかい） and 若者（わかもの）: learn each reading with the whole word.

Examples

• あの先生せんせいは若わかいです。That teacher is young.
• 祖父そふは若わかい頃ころ、よく山やまに登のぼりました。My grandfather often climbed mountains when he was young.
• この町まちには若者わかものがたくさん住すんでいます。Many young people live in this town.
• 若者わかものの意見いけんを聞ききましょう。Let’s listen to young people’s opinions.
• 若手わかての社員しゃいんが新あたらしい案あんを出だしました。A junior employee proposed a new idea.
• 若手わかての選手せんしゅを応援おうえんしています。I’m cheering on the young athletes.

Watch out

若い describes someone or something as young; 若者 names young people and 若手 often means a junior member in a field. 若 has 右 under 艹, whereas 苦 has 古.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 若い in hiragana.

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   わかい

   若い is read わかい. In context: That teacher is young.

2. Write the reading of 若者 in hiragana.

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   わかもの

   若者 is read わかもの. In context: Many young people live in this town.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿手（わかて）.

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   若

   若 completes 若手, read わかて. In context: A junior employee proposed a new idea.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 若 from memory, and read 若い and 若者 aloud. Then make a sentence with one of them.