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道Nihongo Path
鏡

鏡·mirror

On-yomi
キョウ
Kun-yomi
かがみ

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
鏡かがみmirror
眼鏡めがねglasses
望遠鏡ぼうえんきょうtelescope
顕微鏡けんびきょうmicroscope

Example sentences

  1. 鏡を見て髪を直した。

    かがみをみてかみをなおした。

    I looked in the mirror and fixed my hair.

  2. 望遠鏡で月を見ました。

    ぼうえんきょうでつきをみました。

    I looked at the moon through a telescope.

  3. 眼鏡がないと字が読めません。

    めがねがないとじがよめません。

    I can't read letters without my glasses.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Saying *がんきょう for 眼鏡 in everyday speech — the ordinary word is めがね
  • Forgetting that 鏡 becomes きょう in compounds like 望遠鏡

Memory aid

Picture it

Metal (金) polished all the way to 竟, the end — a bronze mirror you can see yourself in.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 鏡 mean?