甲
甲·shell, armour, back of the hand, first grade
- On-yomi
- コウカン
- Kun-yomi
- きのえ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 甲板 | かんぱん | deck (of a ship) |
| 甲乙 | こうおつ | first and second, A and B |
| 手の甲 | てのこう | back of the hand |
| 甲高い | かんだかい | shrill, high-pitched |
Example sentences
手の甲に日が当たって熱い。
てのこうにひがあたってあつい。
The sun is on the back of my hand and it's hot.
二人の実力は甲乙つけがたい。
ふたりのじつりょくはこうおつつけがたい。
It's hard to rank the two of them — they're evenly matched.
隣の部屋から甲高い声が聞こえた。
となりのへやからかんだかいこえがきこえた。
A shrill voice came from the next room.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Reading 甲板 as こうばん — it is かんぱん
- きのえ belongs to the old sexagenary calendar and is not used in ordinary Japanese
Memory aid
Picture it
A shell or helmet with a stem hanging below it: hard covering — armour, a tortoise shell, the hard back of the hand, and by extension the top grade.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 甲 mean?