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道Nihongo Path
肥

肥·fertile, fat

On-yomi
ヒ
Kun-yomi
こ(える)こえこ(やす)

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
肥料ひりょうfertilizer
肥満ひまんobesity
肥えるこえるto grow fat, become fertile
肥やすこやすto fatten, enrich

Example sentences

  1. 畑に肥料をまいた。

    はたけにひりょうをまいた。

    I spread fertilizer on the field.

  2. 運動不足は肥満の原因になる。

    うんどうぶそくはひまんのげんいんになる。

    Lack of exercise causes obesity.

  3. いい絵をたくさん見て目を肥やしたい。

    いいえをたくさんみてめをこやしたい。

    I want to train my eye by seeing lots of good paintings.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 肥える as ふとえる by analogy with 太る
  • Mixing up the pair 肥える (intransitive) and 肥やす (transitive)

Memory aid

Picture it

The flesh radical 月 on the left — flesh piling on, whether on an animal or on the soil that feeds it.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 肥 mean?