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Kotomora

事

matter, thing, fact, business, reason, possibly

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 100Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • ジ
  • ズ

Kun'yomi

  • こと
  • つか.う
  • つか.える

Nanori

  • ろ

Meaning

事 centers on an abstract unit of concern: a matter, thing, or fact. It extends naturally to business (a specific matter) and reason (the matter behind something), while 'possibly' reflects its use in uncertain or conditional expressions.

Most common words using 事

24 of 1,393
  • 事こと
    N5

    thing; matter

  • 仕事しごと
    N5

    work; job; labor; labour; business; task; assignment; occupation; employment

  • 事件じけん
    N3

    event; affair; incident; case; plot; trouble; scandal

  • 記事きじ
    N3

    article; news story; report; account

  • 大事だいじ
    N4

    important; serious; crucial

  • 事故じこ
    N4

    accident; incident; trouble

  • 事業じぎょう
    N1

    business; enterprise; venture; (commercial) activity; (business) operation; industry

  • 事実じじつ
    N3

    fact; truth; reality

  • 食事しょくじ
    N5

    meal (e.g. lunch, dinner)

  • 事務所じむしょ
    N5

    office

  • 工事こうじ
    N3

    construction work

  • 無事ぶじ
    N3

    safety; security; peace; quiet

  • 刑事けいじ
    N3

    (police) detective

  • 事前じぜん
    N2

    prior; beforehand; in advance; before the fact; ex ante

  • 事態じたい
    N2

    situation; (present) state of affairs; circumstances

  • 事情じじょう
    N3

    circumstances; conditions; situation; reasons; state of affairs

  • 事務じむ
    N3

    office work; clerical work; administration; business; affairs

  • 見事みごと
    N3

    splendid; magnificent; excellent; fine; superb; beautiful; admirable

  • 軍事ぐんじ
    N1

    military affairs

  • 出来事できごと
    N3

    occurrence; happening; incident; event

  • 返事へんじ
    N4

    reply; answer; response

  • 人事じんじ
    N2

    personnel affairs; human affairs; human resources; HR

  • 人事ひとごと

    other people's affairs; someone else's problem

  • 理事りじ
    N1

    director; trustee

Explore all words using 事 →

Study

Etymology

事 is thought to derive from a hand holding a writing brush or stylus, representing a matter or affair being recorded. The modern form is highly stylized, and the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The shape looks like a hand holding a brush over a document: recording a matter or thing. Think of a clerk noting down every fact and business affair.

Reading mnemonic

For ジ, imagine a busy office where every matter is marked with a big letter 'G' on a file: G -> ジ, and the 'G' stands for the general business of the day.