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道Nihongo Path
祈

祈·pray

On-yomi
キ
Kun-yomi
いの(る)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
祈るいのるto pray, wish
祈願きがんprayer, supplication
祈りいのりa prayer
合格祈願ごうかくきがんpraying for exam success

Example sentences

  1. ご成功をお祈りしています。

    ごせいこうをおいのりしています。

    I am wishing you every success.

  2. 母は毎日家族の無事を祈っている。

    はははまいにちかぞくのぶじをいのっている。

    My mother prays every day for the family's safety.

  3. 神社で合格祈願をしてきた。

    じんじゃでごうかくきがんをしてきた。

    I went to the shrine to pray for success in the exam.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Writing the left radical as 衤 (clothing, two dots) instead of 礻 (altar, one dot)
  • Using 祈る for a casual hope; it is fairly formal, often in set phrases like お祈りしています

Memory aid

Picture it

An altar (礻) beside an axe (斤) — standing before the shrine and asking for a cut of good fortune.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 祈 mean?