Kanji 動: meanings, readings, and example words.

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Kanji 動: move, motion, change, confusion, shift, shake

Key takeaways

Kanji 動: move, motion, change, confusion, shift, shake. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

動

Meaning

movemotionchangeconfusionshiftshake

On reading

ドウ

Kun reading

うご.くうご.かす

Radical

力

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 動

move, motion, change, confusion, shift, shake

Kanji structure breakdown

動

Structure breakdown

重 + 力

Mnemonic story

To move something heavy (重), you must apply power (力). This combination represents the act of 'moving' or 'motion.' It is used in words like exercise (運動) or action (動作).

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ドウ

異動いどう
transfer / move / change of position
出動しゅつどう
dispatch / mobilization / deployment
振動しんどう
vibration / oscillation
自動詞じどうし
intransitive verb (no direct object)
助動詞じょどうし
auxiliary verb
騒動そうどう
disturbance / riot / conflict
他動詞たどうし
transitive verb (takes object)
動員どういん
mobilization / enlistment

Kun reading

うご.く

動かすうごかす
to move / to shift
動くうごく
to move / to work / to operate

Commonly used words

異動
いどう
transfer / move / change of position
出動
しゅつどう
dispatch / mobilization / deployment
振動
しんどう
vibration / oscillation
自動詞
じどうし
intransitive verb (no direct object)
助動詞
じょどうし
auxiliary verb
騒動
そうどう
disturbance / riot / conflict
動かす
うごかす
to move / to shift
動く
うごく
to move / to work / to operate

Example sentences

Example 1

会社で異動が決まりました。

Translation

I was transferred at the company.

Example 2

部署の異動で忙しくなった。

Translation

I got busy because of a department transfer.

Example 3

体の動きをよく観察してください。

Translation

Please carefully observe the movements of the body.

Example 4

市場の動きが速く変わっています。

Translation

The market trends are changing rapidly.

N3Vocabulary

異動 (いどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 異動: transfer / move / change of position. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

動き (うごき): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動き: movement / change / activity. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

出動 (しゅつどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 出動: dispatch / mobilization / deployment. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

振動 (しんどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 振動: vibration / oscillation. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

自動詞 (じどうし): meaning and examples

Japanese word 自動詞: intransitive verb (no direct object). Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

助動詞 (じょどうし): meaning and examples

Japanese word 助動詞: auxiliary verb. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

騒動 (そうどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 騒動: disturbance / riot / conflict. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

他動詞 (たどうし): meaning and examples

Japanese word 他動詞: transitive verb (takes object). Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

動員 (どういん): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動員: mobilization / enlistment. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

動機 (どうき): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動機: motive / reason / incentive. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

動向 (どうこう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動向: trend / tendency / movement. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

動的 (どうてき): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動的: dynamic / active / moving. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

動揺 (どうよう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動揺: agitation / disturbance / nervousness. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

動力 (どうりょく): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動力: power / motive force. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

不動産 (ふどうさん): meaning and examples

Japanese word 不動産: real estate / property. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

変動 (へんどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 変動: change / fluctuation. Meanings and example sentences.

N1Vocabulary

暴動 (ぼうどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 暴動: riot / rebellion / uprising. Meanings and example sentences.

N2Vocabulary

形容動詞 (けいようどうし): meaning and examples

Japanese word 形容動詞: adjectival noun / quasi-adjective. Meanings and example sentences.

N2Vocabulary

動作 (どうさ): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動作: movement / action / behavior. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

移動 (いどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 移動: movement / transfer / migration. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

動かす (うごかす): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動かす: to move / to shift. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

活動 (かつどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 活動: activity / action. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

感動 (かんどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 感動: deep emotion / being moved. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

行動 (こうどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 行動: action / behavior / conduct. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

自動 (じどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 自動: automatic / self-moving. Meanings and example sentences.

N3Vocabulary

動詞 (どうし): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動詞: verb (action word). Meanings and example sentences.

N4Vocabulary

動く (うごく): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動く: to move / to work / to operate. Meanings and example sentences.

N4Vocabulary

運動 (うんどう): meaning and examples

Japanese word 運動: exercise / physical activity. Meanings and example sentences.

N4Vocabulary

動物園 (どうぶつえん): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動物園: zoo. Meanings and example sentences.

N5Vocabulary

自動車 (じどうしゃ): meaning and examples

Japanese word 自動車: car / automobile. Meanings and example sentences.

N5Vocabulary

動物 (どうぶつ): meaning and examples

Japanese word 動物: animal / creature / living thing. Meanings and example sentences.