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道Nihongo Path
鎌

鎌·sickle, scythe, trick

On-yomi
none
Kun-yomi
かま

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
鎌かまsickle
鎌倉かまくらKamakura
鎌首かまくびraised, sickle-shaped neck (of a snake)
鎌をかけるかまをかけるto trick someone into talking

Example sentences

  1. 祖父は鎌で草を刈った。

    そふはかまでくさをかった。

    My grandfather cut the grass with a sickle.

  2. 先週、鎌倉まで電車で行った。

    せんしゅう、かまくらまででんしゃでいった。

    Last week I took the train to Kamakura.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • 鎌をかける is an idiom meaning to bait someone into revealing something — nothing to do with farming.
  • 鎌倉 is read かまくら, with the kun reading.

Memory aid

Picture it

Metal 金 with 兼 (to combine): a curved metal blade that gathers a whole armful of grass in one stroke.

Quick check

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What does the kanji 鎌 mean?