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道Nihongo Path
積

積·pile up, accumulate

On-yomi
セキ
Kun-yomi
つむつもる

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
積むつむto pile up, to load
積もるつもるto pile up (by itself), to accumulate
面積めんせきarea
積極的せっきょくてきpositive, proactive

Example sentences

  1. 車に荷物を積みました。

    くるまににもつをつみました。

    I loaded the luggage into the car.

  2. ゆうべから雪が積もっています。

    ゆうべからゆきがつもっています。

    Snow has been piling up since last night.

  3. この土地の面積を調べてください。

    このとちのめんせきをしらべてください。

    Please look up the area of this plot of land.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 面積 as めんせつ — that is 面接, a job interview
  • Writing 成績 with 積 instead of 績

Memory aid

Picture it

Grain (禾) stacked up year after year — harvest piled on harvest until it accumulates.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 積 mean?