貢
貢·tribute, contribute
- On-yomi
- コウク
- Kun-yomi
- みつ(ぐ)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 貢献 | こうけん | contribution |
| 貢ぐ | みつぐ | to support financially, to lavish money on |
| 年貢 | ねんぐ | annual land tax, tribute rice |
| 朝貢 | ちょうこう | paying tribute to a court |
Example sentences
彼女の研究は医学に貢献している。
かのじょのけんきゅうはいがくにこうけんしている。
Her research is contributing to medicine.
農民は毎年年貢を納めた。
のうみんはまいとしねんぐをおさめた。
The farmers paid the annual land tax every year.
彼にお金を貢ぐのはやめたほうがいい。
かれにおかねをみつぐのはやめたほうがいい。
You should stop lavishing money on him.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
- 貢頁頁 (page) looks similar at a glance, but 貢 has 工 stacked on top of 貝.
- 貢資資 (resources) also sits on the shell radical 貝; its top is 次, not 工.
Common mistakes
- Reading 年貢 as ねんこう — the historical term is ねんぐ
- Note that 貢ぐ has a negative nuance of pouring money into someone; 貢献する is the neutral, positive word
Memory aid
Picture it
Work (工) turned into money (貝) and handed over — tribute paid upward.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 貢 mean?