Kanji 城: castle

Key takeaways

Kanji 城: castle. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

城

Meaning

castle

On reading

ジョウセイ

Kun reading

しろ

Radical

土

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 城

castle

Kanji structure breakdown

城

Structure breakdown

土 + 成

Mnemonic story

Imagine building a castle by piling up earth (土) until the structure is completed (成). In ancient times, many castles and fortresses were formed by compacting soil into strong walls to protect the land.

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ジョウ

城下じょうか
area near a castle

Kun reading

しろ

城しろ
castle / fortress

Commonly used words

城下
じょうか
area near a castle
城
しろ
castle / fortress

Example sentences

Example 1

城下には歴史的な建物が多い。

Translation

There are many historic buildings near the castle.

Example 2

城下町は観光客に人気です。

Translation

The castle town is popular with tourists.

Example 3

この城は千年前に作られました。

Translation

This castle was built a thousand years ago.

Example 4

城の中を見学しましょう。

Translation

Let's tour inside the castle.

Kanji 城: castle

Kanji at a glance

Core meaning / core image

Kanji structure breakdown

Mnemonic story

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

Kun reading

Commonly used words

Example sentences

城下 (じょうか): meaning and examples

城 (しろ): meaning and examples