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道Nihongo Path
玄

玄·mysterious, occultness, black

On-yomi
げん
Kun-yomi
くろくろ.い

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
玄関げんかんentrance hall, front door
玄米げんまいbrown rice
玄人くろうとexpert, professional
玄関口げんかんぐちdoorway; gateway (to a region)

Example sentences

  1. 玄関で靴を脱いでください。

    げんかんでくつをぬいでください。

    Please take off your shoes at the entrance.

  2. 健康のために玄米を食べている。

    けんこうのためにげんまいをたべている。

    I eat brown rice for my health.

  3. その道では彼は玄人だ。

    そのみちではかれはくろうとだ。

    In that field he is a real professional.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 玄人 as げんじん — it is くろうと, and its opposite is 素人 (しろうと)
  • Reading 玄米 as くろまい

Memory aid

Picture it

A dark twisted thread under a lid: the deep blackish colour that gave the character its senses of dark and mysterious.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 玄 mean?