朕
朕·We (the imperial first person)
- On-yomi
- チン
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 朕 | ちん | We, I (used only by the Emperor) |
| 朕惟うに | ちんおもうに | 'We consider that...' — the opening of the Imperial Rescript on Education |
| 朕は国家なり | ちんはこっかなり | 'I am the state' — the Japanese rendering of Louis XIV's line |
| 朕兆 | ちんちょう | a sign, an omen (literary) |
Example sentences
教育勅語は「朕惟うに」で始まる。
きょういくちょくごは「ちんおもうに」ではじまる。
The Imperial Rescript on Education begins with the words 'We consider that...'.
詔書の中で天皇は自らを朕と称した。
しょうしょのなかでてんのうはみずからをちんとしょうした。
In the rescript the Emperor referred to himself as 'We'.
歴史の教科書で朕という言葉を初めて見た。
れきしのきょうかしょでちんということばをはじめてみた。
I first saw the word 'chin' in a history textbook.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Using 朕 as an ordinary first-person pronoun — outside imperial rescripts and period fiction it never appears
- Confusing 朕 with 勝 or 謄 when writing quickly — 朕 has nothing added below or beside it
Memory aid
Picture it
The flesh-and-boat radical 月 with the element shared by 勝 and 騰: a character reserved for exactly one speaker, the Emperor saying 'We'.
Quick check
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What does the kanji 朕 mean?