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道Nihongo Path
皆

皆·all, everyone, everything

On-yomi
カイ
Kun-yomi
みなみんな

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

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

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
皆みんなeveryone, all
皆さんみなさんeveryone (polite address)
皆様みなさまeveryone (very polite)
皆勤かいきんperfect attendance

Example sentences

  1. 皆で写真を撮りましょう。

    みんなでしゃしんをとりましょう。

    Let's take a photo all together.

  2. 皆さん、おはようございます。

    みなさん、おはようございます。

    Good morning, everyone.

  3. 宿題は皆やりましたか。

    しゅくだいはみんなやりましたか。

    Did you do all of the homework?

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Writing みなさん as 皆んさん — the ん belongs only to the casual みんな
  • Reading 皆さん as *かいさん; the polite form is みなさん

Memory aid

Picture it

Two people side by side (比) standing over the sun (日) — the whole group out in the open, everyone.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 皆 mean?