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道Nihongo Path
嘆

嘆·sigh, lament

On-yomi
タン
Kun-yomi
なげ(く)なげ(かわしい)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
嘆くなげくto grieve, lament
嘆息たんそくa sigh
感嘆かんたんadmiration, exclamation
驚嘆きょうたんwonder, amazement

Example sentences

  1. 母は息子の死を嘆いた。

    はははむすこのしをなげいた。

    The mother grieved for her son.

  2. 彼の技術には感嘆するばかりだ。

    かれのぎじゅつにはかんたんするばかりだ。

    One can only marvel at his skill.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Writing 漢 for 嘆 — check whether the left is 口 or 氵.
  • 感嘆 (admiration) is positive even though 嘆 means 'lament'.

Memory aid

Picture it

A mouth 口 on the left and the body of 漢 on the right — a mouth letting out a sigh as long as a river.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 嘆 mean?