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道Nihongo Path
昼

昼·noon, daytime

On-yomi
チュウ
Kun-yomi
ひる

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
昼ひるnoon, daytime
昼ご飯ひるごはんlunch
昼休みひるやすみlunch break
昼食ちゅうしょくlunch (formal)

Example sentences

  1. 昼ご飯は食堂で食べます。

    ひるごはんはしょくどうでたべます。

    I eat lunch in the canteen.

  2. 昼休みに少し散歩しました。

    ひるやすみにすこしさんぽしました。

    I took a short walk during the lunch break.

  3. 昼は暖かいですが、夜は寒いです。

    ひるはあたたかいですが、よるはさむいです。

    It's warm during the day but cold at night.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 昼食 as *ひるしょく instead of ちゅうしょく
  • Assuming 昼 means only 12 o'clock — it covers the whole daytime as well

Memory aid

Picture it

A hand-and-ruler shape over the sun (日) with a line beneath — the sun measured at its highest point.

Vocabulary using this kanji

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What does the kanji 昼 mean?