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道Nihongo Path
牧

牧·pasture

On-yomi
ボク
Kun-yomi
まき

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

8 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
牧場ぼくじょうranch, pasture
牧師ぼくしpastor, minister
牧草ぼくそうpasture grass
遊牧民ゆうぼくみんnomads

Example sentences

  1. 夏休みに牧場で牛の世話をした。

    なつやすみにぼくじょうでうしのせわをした。

    I looked after cows at a ranch over summer vacation.

  2. その教会の牧師はとても親切だ。

    そのきょうかいのぼくしはとてもしんせつだ。

    The pastor of that church is very kind.

  3. 丘一面に牧草が広がっている。

    おかいちめんにぼくそうがひろがっている。

    Pasture grass spreads over the whole hillside.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 牧場 as まきば in formal contexts — both readings exist, but ぼくじょう is the standard on reading
  • Confusing 牧師 (Protestant pastor) with 神父 (しんぷ, Catholic priest)

Memory aid

Picture it

A cow 牜 on the left with a hand holding a stick on the right — someone driving cattle out to graze.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 牧 mean?