Kanji Database
English
由

由 — readings, stroke count and radical

Stroke order

Stroke order data from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Origin of the character

不明。一説に容器の形、また一説に冑の形。のち仮借して「よし」を意味する漢語｛由｝に用いる。

Character meanings and origins come from the Japanese Wiktionary.

Meaning

wherefore, a reason

English glosses from KANJIDIC2.

Readings

On (Sino-Japanese)
  • ユElem.
  • ユウElem.
  • ユイHS
Kun (native)
  • よしHS
  • よ(る)
Other languages
  • 拼音you2
  • 한글yu
  • Hán-ViệtDo

Labels show the school stage at which each Jōyō reading is taught.

Basics

Strokes
5 strokes
Radical
田(た)
JIS level
Level 1
JLPT (old scale)
Level 2
Unicode
U+7531

Components

Components this kanji is made of. Follow them to find similar kanji.

Composition (IDS): overlapping ⿻[:-1]丨日

Words using this kanji

  • 由よし（よし）（古語・雅語）理由。 （よし）（古語・雅語）手段。 （よし）（古語・雅語・文書語）伝聞した内容。reason, significance, cause, piece of information that one has heard
  • 由来ゆらい物事の起源。 物事のたどってきた経緯。 昔からそのような状態であること。origin, source, history, derivation
  • 由緒ゆいしょものごとがたどってきたいわれ。根拠。 立派な来歴。history, pedigree, lineage
  • 由々しいゆゆしいgrave, serious, alarming
  • 由縁ゆえん関係。ゆかり。 由来。由緒。わけ。acquaintance, relation, affinity, reason
  • 由有るよしあるof rank, of noble birth
  • 由来書ゆらいがきhistory (of something), memoir
  • 由なきよしなきmeaningless, senseless, absurd
  • 由ありげよしありげmeaningful, suggestive, seeming to be with a history, seeming to be with circumstances that are hard to explain
  • 由々しきゆゆしきgrave, serious, alarming
  • 由緒あるゆいしょあるvenerable, prestigious, with a long history
  • 由緒正しいゆいしょただしいhaving an ancient and honorable origin, of good lineage, of noble birth

Words starting with this kanji, most common first.

See all words containing this kanji(206 results)

Similar-looking kanji

Selected automatically by comparing composition (IDS). “Same composition” means the parts and their arrangement match.

Lookup codes

SKIP
4-5-2
Four Corner
5060.0
Spahn–Hadamitzky
0a5.35
Heisig
1186
Nelson
89