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Kotomora

他

other, another, the others

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • タ

Kun'yomi

  • ほか

Meaning

他 centers on the idea of something outside the current focus: another person, a different thing, or the rest of a group. It marks what is not the self or not the one under discussion.

Most common words using 他

20 of 177
  • 他た
    N3

    other (esp. people and abstract matters)

  • 他ほか
    N1

    another place; some other place; somewhere else; outside

  • その他そのほか
    N2

    the rest; the others

  • 他人たにん
    N3

    another person; other people; others

  • 他社たしゃ

    another company; other company

  • 他者たしゃ
    N1

    another person; others

  • 他国たこく

    foreign country; another country

  • 他方たほう
    N1

    one (esp. of two); the other; one way; the other way; one direction; the other direction; one side; the other side; one party; the other party

  • 他所たしょ

    another place; somewhere else; elsewhere

  • 他界たかい
    N1

    death; the next world

  • 排他はいた

    exclusion

  • 他校たこう

    another school; other schools

  • 自他じた

    oneself and others

  • 他愛たあい

    altruism

  • 他愛たわい

    sanity; soundness of mind; prudence and discretion

  • 他殺たさつ
    N1

    murder

  • 利他りた

    altruism

  • 他力本願たりきほんがん

    salvation by faith in Amitabha

  • 他意たい
    N1

    other intention; hidden purpose; ulterior motive; ill will; malice

  • 他家たけ

    another family; another house

Explore all words using 他 →

Study

Etymology

他 combines the person radical 亻 with 也, which likely contributed the sound and originally depicted a snake or a container. The exact historical development of the compound is uncertain, but the character has long been used to express otherness or a third person.

Meaning mnemonic

A person 亻 beside a scorpion-like shape 也: imagine pointing to someone else across the room, saying 'that other person, not me.' The scorpion shape helps you remember it's a different, separate entity.

Reading mnemonic

For タ, picture a tarot card reader pointing to another card: 'that other card' -> タ. The person radical 亻 is the reader, and 也 is the mysterious other card.