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道Nihongo Path
陵

陵·mausoleum, hill, imperial tomb

On-yomi
リョウ
Kun-yomi
みささぎ

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
丘陵きゅうりょうhill, hilly area
陵みささぎimperial tomb
御陵ごりょうimperial mausoleum
陵墓りょうぼimperial tomb

Example sentences

  1. 町の南に緩やかな丘陵が広がっている。

    まちのみなみにゆるやかなきゅうりょうがひろがっている。

    Gentle hills spread out to the south of the town.

  2. 天皇の陵は森に囲まれている。

    てんのうのみささぎはもりにかこまれている。

    The emperor's tomb is surrounded by forest.

  3. この陵墓は宮内庁が管理している。

    このりょうぼはくないちょうがかんりしている。

    This imperial tomb is administered by the Imperial Household Agency.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

  • 陵凌凌 (to endure, surpass) has the ice radical 冫 where 陵 has the hill 阝.
  • 陵稜稜 (ridge line, 稜線) pairs the same right side with the grain radical 禾.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 丘陵 as きゅうりゅう — it is きゅうりょう
  • Reading 陵 alone as りょう when it names a tomb — on its own it is みささぎ

Memory aid

Picture it

The hill radical 阝 again: a raised mound of earth, which is both a natural hill and the great burial mound of an emperor.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 陵 mean?