遭
遭·encounter (misfortune)
- On-yomi
- ソウ
- Kun-yomi
- あ(う)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遭遇 | そうぐう | encounter, running into |
| 遭難 | そうなん | disaster, being lost (in mountains or at sea) |
| 遭う | あう | to meet with (something bad) |
| 遭難者 | そうなんしゃ | victim of an accident, missing climber |
Example sentences
山で急に吹雪に遭った。
やまできゅうにふぶきにあった。
We suddenly got caught in a blizzard on the mountain.
登山隊が遭難したという知らせが届いた。
とざんたいがそうなんしたというしらせがとどいた。
News came that the climbing party had been lost.
帰り道で熊に遭遇した。
かえりみちでくまにそうぐうした。
I ran into a bear on the way home.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Writing 遭う where 会う is meant — 遭う is only for unpleasant things (事故に遭う)
- Reading 遭難 as ぞうなん — it is そうなん
Memory aid
Picture it
The road radical 辶: out on the road you run head-on into something, and with this kanji it is never good news.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 遭 mean?