峠
峠·mountain peak, mountain pass, climax
- On-yomi
- none
- Kun-yomi
- とうげ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 峠 | とうげ | mountain pass; the worst or peak of something |
| 峠道 | とうげみち | road over a mountain pass |
| 峠越え | とうげごえ | crossing a pass |
| 峠を越す | とうげをこす | to get over the worst (of an illness or crisis) |
Example sentences
病気はもう峠を越したそうだ。
びょうきはもうとうげをこしたそうだ。
They say the illness has passed its worst.
峠の茶屋で少し休憩した。
とうげのちゃやですこしきゅうけいした。
We rested a while at the teahouse on the pass.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- 峠 is a kokuji — it has no on-reading, so never read it トウ in compounds
- 峠を越す is used far more often about a crisis than about an actual mountain
Memory aid
Picture it
Mountain 山 with 上 over 下: the point on a mountain road where going up turns into going down.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 峠 mean?