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道Nihongo Path
暫

暫·temporarily, for a while, provisional

On-yomi
ザン
Kun-yomi
しばら(く)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
暫くしばらくfor a while, for a moment
暫定ざんていprovisional, interim
暫定的ざんていてきprovisional, tentative
暫時ざんじa short while (formal)

Example sentences

  1. 暫くお待ちください。

    しばらくおまちください。

    Please wait a moment.

  2. 暫定的な予算が組まれた。

    ざんていてきなよさんがくまれた。

    A provisional budget has been drawn up.

  3. 彼とは暫く会っていない。

    かれとはしばらくあっていない。

    I haven't seen him for a while.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • 暫く is usually written in kana as しばらく in ordinary text
  • Reading 暫定 as ざんじょう — it is ざんてい

Memory aid

Picture it

斬 (to cut) above 日 (day): a day cut short — only a little while.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 暫 mean?