Search…

Search blog post titles and content.

N1

Kanji 源: meanings, readings, and example words.

2 min read

Kanji 源: source, origin

Key takeaways

Kanji 源: source, origin. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

N1

Meaning

sourceorigin

On reading

ゲン

Kun reading

みなもと

Radical

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 源

source, origin

Kanji structure breakdown

Structure breakdown

氵 + 原

Mnemonic story

Mnemonic story

This character combines water (氵) with the character for original or field (原). It literally represents the source of a river or the origin of a concept.

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ゲン
  • 起源きげん

    origin / beginning / source

  • 語源ごげん

    word origin / etymology

  • 財源ざいげん

    financial source / funding

  • 水源すいげん

    source of a river

  • 電源でんげん

    power source / power supply

  • 資源しげん

    natural or economic resources

Kun reading

みなもと
  • みなもと

    source / origin

Commonly used words

  • 起源
    きげん

    origin / beginning / source

  • 語源
    ごげん

    word origin / etymology

  • 財源
    ざいげん

    financial source / funding

  • 水源
    すいげん

    source of a river

  • 電源
    でんげん

    power source / power supply

  • 資源
    しげん

    natural or economic resources

  • みなもと

    source / origin

Example sentences

Example 1

この文化の起は古いです。

Translation

The origin of this culture is old.

Example 2

言語の起を調べています。

Translation

I am researching the origin of language.

Example 3

この言葉の語を調べた。

Translation

I looked up the origin of this word.

Example 4

を知ると意味が分かる。

Translation

Knowing the etymology helps understand the meaning.

Kanji 源: source, origin | Daily Nihongo