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道Nihongo Path
伎

伎·performing art, skill, entertainer

On-yomi
キギ
Kun-yomi
none

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
歌舞伎かぶきkabuki theatre
歌舞伎座かぶきざthe Kabuki-za theatre in Ginza
歌舞伎役者かぶきやくしゃkabuki actor
伎楽ぎがくgigaku, ancient masked dance-drama

Example sentences

  1. 初めて歌舞伎を見に行った。

    はじめてかぶきをみにいった。

    I went to see kabuki for the first time.

  2. 祖母は歌舞伎役者の大ファンだ。

    そぼはかぶきやくしゃのだいファンだ。

    My grandmother is a big fan of a certain kabuki actor.

  3. 銀座の歌舞伎座は建て替えられた。

    ぎんざのかぶきざはたてかえられた。

    The Kabuki-za in Ginza has been rebuilt.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Writing 歌舞伎 as 歌舞技 — the last character is the person radical, not the hand
  • Expecting 伎 elsewhere — in modern Japanese it appears almost only in 歌舞伎

Memory aid

Picture it

A person 亻 with 支 (the skill element also in 技): a person of skill on stage — today essentially the kabuki character.

Quick check

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What does the kanji 伎 mean?