荒
荒·rough, wild, desolate
- On-yomi
- コウ
- Kun-yomi
- あら(い)あ(れる)あ(らす)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 荒い | あらい | rough, violent |
| 荒れる | あれる | to be stormy, to go to ruin |
| 荒らす | あらす | to ruin, to devastate |
| 荒野 | こうや | wasteland, wilderness |
Example sentences
今日は波が荒いので泳げません。
きょうはなみがあらいのでおよげません。
The waves are rough today, so we can't swim.
冬になると手が荒れる。
ふゆになるとてがあれる。
My hands get chapped in winter.
台風で畑が荒らされてしまった。
たいふうではたけがあらされてしまった。
The fields were devastated by the typhoon.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Writing 粗い when rough seas or rough behavior are meant — that is 荒い
- Reading 荒野 as あらの in every case; こうや is the standard reading
Memory aid
Picture it
Grass (艹) growing wild over a river that has dried out — land nobody tends any more.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 荒 mean?