墾
墾·reclaim land, bring under cultivation
- On-yomi
- コン
- Kun-yomi
- none
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開墾 | かいこん | reclaiming and cultivating new land |
| 開墾地 | かいこんち | reclaimed farmland |
| 未開墾 | みかいこん | uncultivated, not yet reclaimed |
| 墾田 | こんでん | newly cleared rice field (as in 墾田永年私財法) |
Example sentences
祖先はこの土地を開墾した。
そせんはこのとちをかいこんした。
Our ancestors cleared and cultivated this land.
荒れ地を開墾して畑にする。
あれちをかいこんしてはたけにする。
We will clear the wasteland and turn it into fields.
奈良時代には墾田が認められた。
ならじだいにはこんでんがみとめられた。
In the Nara period, newly cleared fields were recognised as property.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Writing 開墾 as 開懇 — 懇 is for 懇談会 and 懇願, not for land
- Reading 開墾 as かいごん — it is かいこん
Memory aid
Picture it
The same busy top as 懇, but resting on earth 土: patient, earnest work applied to the ground until it becomes a field.
Quick check
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What does the kanji 墾 mean?