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道Nihongo Path
核

核·nucleus, core, nuclear

On-yomi
カク
Kun-yomi
none

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
核心かくしんcore, heart of the matter
核兵器かくへいきnuclear weapon
核家族かくかぞくnuclear family
中核ちゅうかくnucleus, central part

Example sentences

  1. 彼の質問は問題の核心に触れていた。

    かれのしつもんはもんだいのかくしんにふれていた。

    His question got to the heart of the problem.

  2. 核兵器のない世界を目指す。

    かくへいきのないせかいをめざす。

    We aim for a world without nuclear weapons.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 核心 as かくしみ — it is かくしん
  • Writing 確心 for 核心 — the 'heart of the matter' takes the tree radical 核

Memory aid

Picture it

木 (a fruit tree) beside 亥: the hard stone buried at the centre of the fruit — the kernel, the core.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 核 mean?