Kanji

礼

salute, bow, ceremony, thanks, remuneration

Kanji

Grade

Grade 3

Strokes

5 strokes

Radical

示部

On'yomi (Chinese Reading)

レイ, ライ

Nanori (Name Reading)

あき, あきら, あや, いや, うや, かた, なり, のり, ひろ, ひろし, まさ, まさし, みち, ゆき, よし

Common Readings

ライ, レイ

Example sentences

失礼 しつれい
失礼ですが、この席は空いていますか？

Excuse me, but is this seat taken?

用 よう
急ぎの用ができたので、お先に失礼します。

Something urgent came up, so I will be leaving now.

お礼 おれい
助けてもらったお礼に、お菓子を差し上げた。

As a token of gratitude for the help, I gave some sweets.

申し上げる もうしあげる
心よりお礼申し上げます。

I would like to express my sincere gratitude.

礼 れい
彼は先生に深く礼をした。

He bowed deeply to the teacher.

冕冠 べんかん
天皇陛下が即位の礼で冕冠を着用された。

The Emperor wore the imperial crown at the enthronement ceremony.

礼を言う れいをいう
助けてくれた友人に礼を言う。

I thank the friend who helped me.

無礼 ぶれい
彼の無礼な振る舞いに、その場の全員が凍りついた。

Everyone present froze at his rude behavior.

唖然 あぜん
彼のあまりの無礼さに、彼女は唖然とした。

She was dumbfounded by his extreme rudeness.

一礼 いちれい
彼は一礼して、部屋を出ました。

He bowed once and left the room.

Example Vocabulary

失礼

しつれい

rude; impolite; excuse me; I'm sorry

お礼

おれい

thanks; gratitude; gift; reward

礼

れい

etiquette; manners; bow; gratitude

礼を言う

れいをいう

to thank; to express gratitude

無礼

ぶれい

rudeness; impoliteness; bad manners

一礼

いちれい

a bow; a greeting

礼儀

れいぎ

manners; courtesy; etiquette; politeness

敬礼

けいれい

salute; bow; respect

礼儀正しい

れいぎただしい

polite; well-mannered; courteous

礼拝堂

れいはいどう

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Sign Up

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.