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Kotomora

乾

drought, dry, desiccate, drink up, heaven, emperor

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン
  • ケン

Kun'yomi

  • かわ.く
  • かわ.かす
  • ほ.す
  • ひ.る
  • いぬい

Meaning

乾 centers on dryness and the removal of moisture: drought, desiccation, and drinking up liquids. The meanings 'heaven' and 'emperor' are separate, derived from its use in classical Chinese cosmology where it represents the creative, dry, male principle.

Most common words using 乾

20 of 147
  • 乾燥かんそう
    N3

    dryness; aridity; drying (e.g. clothes); dehydration; desiccation

  • 乾くかわく
    N4

    to get dry

  • 乾杯かんぱい
    N4

    cheers; bottoms-up; prosit

  • 乾けん

    qian (one of the trigrams of the I Ching: heaven, northwest)

  • 乾かすかわかす
    N3

    to dry (clothes, etc.); to desiccate

  • 乾電池かんでんち
    N2

    dry cell battery

  • 乾きかわき

    drying; dryness

  • 乾物かんぶつ

    dry provisions; dried food; dried goods; groceries

  • 乾麺かんめん

    dried noodles

  • 乾パンかんパン

    cracker; hard biscuit; hardtack

  • 乾季かんき
    N1

    dry season

  • 乾式かんしき

    dry (method); dry-type; without using water

  • 乾性かんせい

    dry; dryness; dry (pleurisy)

  • 乾癬かんせん

    psoriasis

  • 臘乾ラカン

    Chinese smoked and salted ham

  • 生乾きなまかわき

    half-dried

  • 陰乾しかげぼし

    drying in the shade

  • 乾板かんぱん

    dry plate

  • 乾燥機かんそうき
    N3

    drying machine; dryer; desiccator

  • アルカリ乾電池アルカリかんでんち

    alkaline battery

Explore all words using 乾 →

Study

Etymology

乾 originally depicted a plant or banner rising upward, associated with dryness and the creative force in Chinese cosmology. The modern form combines 倝 (sunrise) with 乙, but the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side looks like a sun 日 rising over a cross 十, baking the earth dry. The right side 乙 suggests a twisted, parched plant. Together they show a drought scene.

Reading mnemonic

For カン, imagine a dry, empty can baking in the sun: can -> カン, and the drought leaves everything desiccated.