Kanji

元

beginning, former time, origin

Kanji

Grade

Grade 2

Strokes

4 strokes

Radical

儿部

On'yomi (Chinese Reading)

ゲン, ガン

Kun'yomi (Japanese Reading)

もと

Nanori (Name Reading)

あさ, ちか, つかさ, なが, はじむ, はじめ, はる, まさ, もと, ゆき, よし

Common Readings

ガン, ゲン, もと

Example sentences

もと
同僚 です

He is my former colleague.

戻す もどす
読んだら 戻してください

After reading the book, please put it back on the original shelf.

元気 げんき
毎日 しっかり 食べて 元気 過ごしましょう

Let's eat well every day and stay healthy.

みんな みんな
みんな 元気 歌っている

Everyone is singing cheerfully.

元々 もともと
元々 弱い

He is originally a weak-willed person.

口元 くちもと
彼女 口元 笑み 浮かべていた

She had a smile around her mouth.

笑み えみ
彼女 口元 優しい 笑み 浮かんでいた

A gentle smile played on her lips.

足元 あしもと
足元 注意 して ください

Please watch your step.

気をつける きをつける
暗い では 足元 気をつけて ください

Please be careful of your step on dark roads.

手元 てもと
資料 手元 置いて ください

Please keep the materials close at hand.

Example Vocabulary

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 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.