動 Meaning, Reading, and Vocabulary｜Onyomi ドウ, Kunyomi うご.く
The kanji 動 means 'to move' or 'to act'.
It originates from the image of using power (力) to move something heavy (重).
It is primarily read as ドウ (onyomi) and うご.く or うご.かす (kunyomi).
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
動 is a kanji that represents a change in the position of objects or people, or a state of changing and being active.
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
This character depicts using power (力) to move a heavy (重) object. The idea of applying force to change an object's position led to the meaning 'to move'.
On'yomi and kun'yomi
On reading
Kun reading
Commonly used words
Example sentences
Mini quiz
Which of the following is the correct reading for a word containing the kanji '動'?
One-line summary
動 represents moving something heavy using power, and is frequently read as ドウ (onyomi) or うごく (kunyomi).
FAQ
What is the difference between 動く (うごく) and 動かす (うごかす)?
動く is an intransitive verb meaning 'to move' or 'to operate', while 動かす is a transitive verb meaning 'to move (something)' or 'to operate (something)'. They are generally distinguished by context, such as 'a machine moves (機械が動く)' versus 'to move a machine (機械を動かす)'.
Should the onyomi 'ドウ' for 動 be pronounced with a long vowel?
Yes, ドウ contains a long vowel, so it is natural to pronounce it with an elongated 'o' sound. Words like 運動 (うんどう) and 感動 (かんどう) are generally pronounced with this long vowel.
