Kanji 長: long, leader, superior, senior
Kanji 長: long, leader, superior, senior. Readings and core meaning.
See vocabulary and examples below.
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
long, leader, superior, senior
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
This character is a pictograph of an elderly person with long hair leaning on a walking stick. The long hair represents the meaning 'long,' while the seniority of the person leads to the meaning 'leader' or 'head.' You can remember these dual meanings through words like 'principal' (school head) or 'long-distance' running.