兼
兼·concurrently, combine
- On-yomi
- ケン
- Kun-yomi
- か(ねる)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 兼業 | けんぎょう | holding two jobs, side business |
| 兼ねる | かねる | to serve as both, to double as |
| 兼用 | けんよう | dual use |
| 兼任 | けんにん | holding two posts at once |
Example sentences
この部屋は書斎と寝室を兼ねている。
このへやはしょさいとしんしつをかねている。
This room doubles as a study and a bedroom.
彼は社長と会長を兼任している。
かれはしゃちょうとかいちょうをけんにんしている。
He holds the posts of president and chairman at the same time.
男女兼用の傘を買った。
だんじょけんようのかさをかった。
I bought a unisex umbrella.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- The suffix 〜かねる after a verb means 'cannot' (わかりかねます), the opposite of 'combine'
- Reading 兼業 as けんごう — it is けんぎょう
Memory aid
Picture it
One hand shown grasping two stalks of grain at once: doing two jobs with a single hand.
Vocabulary using this kanji
- 兼用けんようmulti-use; combined use; serving two purposes
- 気兼ねきがねhesitance; diffidence; feeling constraint; worrying about troubling others
- 兼ねてかねてserving both purposes; at the same time; combined with
- 兼業けんぎょうholding two jobs at once; a side business; running two lines of business
- 兼用するけんようするto use for two purposes, to double as
- 兼ねるかねるto combine, to serve as both; (〜かねる) to be unable to, to hesitate to
Quick check
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What does the kanji 兼 mean?