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道Nihongo Path
羨

羨·envy

On-yomi
セン
Kun-yomi
うらや(む)うらや(ましい)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

13 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
羨望せんぼうenvy
羨ましいうらやましいenviable
羨むうらやむto envy
羨望の的せんぼうのまとthe object of everyone's envy

Example sentences

  1. 君の自由な生活が羨ましい。

    きみのじゆうなせいかつがうらやましい。

    I envy your free lifestyle.

  2. 彼は一躍、羨望の的になった。

    かれはいちやく、せんぼうのまとになった。

    Overnight he became the object of everyone's envy.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 羨望 as せんもう — it is せんぼう.
  • 羨ましい is said to the person's face as a compliment; 妬む is not.

Memory aid

Picture it

A sheep 羊 on top with water and a gaping mouth below — mouth watering at what belongs to someone else.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 羨 mean?