Search…

Search blog post titles and content.

N3

Kanji 数: meanings, readings, and example words.

3 min read

Kanji 数: number, strength, fate, law, figures

Key takeaways

Kanji 数: number, strength, fate, law, figures. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

N3

Meaning

numberstrengthfatelawfigures

On reading

スウサクソクシュ

Kun reading

かずかぞ.えるしばしばせ.めるわずらわ.しい

Radical

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 数

number, strength, fate, law, figures

Kanji structure breakdown

Structure breakdown

娄 + 攵

Mnemonic story

Mnemonic story

Imagine pulling items together (娄) and tapping them (攵) one by one to count them. This repetitive action of touching each item is how you determine the total number or figure.

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

スウ
  • 奇数きすう

    odd number

  • 少数しょうすう

    few / minority

  • 数詞すうし

    numeral / number word

  • 多数決たすうけつ

    majority vote / majority decision

  • 回数かいすう

    number of times / frequency

  • 回数券かいすうけん

    book of tickets

  • 過半数かはんすう

    majority

  • 偶数ぐうすう

    even number

Kun reading

かず
  • 手数てかず

    trouble / effort / number of steps

  • かず

    number / quantity / amount

  • 数えるかぞえる

    to count / to number

Commonly used words

  • 奇数
    きすう

    odd number

  • 少数
    しょうすう

    few / minority

  • 数詞
    すうし

    numeral / number word

  • 多数決
    たすうけつ

    majority vote / majority decision

  • 回数
    かいすう

    number of times / frequency

  • 回数券
    かいすうけん

    book of tickets

  • 手数
    てかず

    trouble / effort / number of steps

  • かず

    number / quantity / amount

  • 数える
    かぞえる

    to count / to number

Example sentences

Example 1

は2で割り切れません。

Translation

Odd numbers cannot be divided evenly by 2.

Example 2

のページを開いてください。

Translation

Please open to an odd-numbered page.

Example 3

ここには少の外国人がいます。

Translation

There are a few foreigners here.

Example 4

意見が少派ですが大切です。

Translation

The opinion is a minority view but important.

Kanji 数: number, strength, fate, law, figures | Daily Nihongo