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Kotomora

役

duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office, service, role

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 500Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヤク
  • エキ

Kun'yomi

—

Nanori

  • ちゃく

Meaning

役 centers on a person being assigned a task or function: a duty, role, or service. The war and campaign senses are specific historical applications of being drafted into military service.

Most common words using 役

24 of 309
  • 役やく
    N2

    role; assignment; responsibility; duty; function; job; service

  • 役割やくわり
    N3

    part; assigning (allotment of) parts; role; duties

  • 現役げんえき
    N1

    active duty; active service

  • 役立つやくだつ
    N2

    to be useful; to be helpful; to serve the purpose

  • 取締役とりしまりやく
    N1

    company director; board member

  • 役員やくいん
    N1

    director; executive

  • 主役しゅやく
    N2

    leading part; leading actor; leading actress

  • 役に立つやくにたつ
    N5

    to be helpful; to be useful

  • 役者やくしゃ
    N2

    actor; actress

  • 役目やくめ
    N2

    duty; role; function

  • 市役所しやくしょ
    N5

    municipal office; council; city hall

  • 役所やくしょ
    N2

    government office; public office

  • 役人やくにん
    N2

    government official

  • 懲役ちょうえき
    N1

    penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor (hard labour)

  • 悪役あくやく

    villain; baddie; the villain's part

  • 役職やくしょく
    N1

    post; official position

  • 子役こやく

    child actor; child actress

  • 代役だいやく

    substitute (actor); stand-in; fill-in; understudy; double

  • 退役たいえき

    retiring from military service

  • 役場やくば
    N1

    town hall

  • 兵役へいえき
    N1

    military service; conscription

  • 重役じゅうやく
    N2

    (company) director; executive; top management

  • 服役ふくえき

    penal servitude; serving time in prison

  • 脇役わきやく
    N1

    supporting role (actor); minor role

Explore all words using 役 →

Study

Etymology

役 combines 彳 (movement, going) with 殳 (a hand holding a weapon or tool), suggesting a person sent out to perform a task or service. The modern form preserves this general idea of assigned action.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 彳 suggests a person on the move, and the right side 殳 looks like a hand holding a tool. Picture someone being sent out with a tool to do their assigned duty or role.

Reading mnemonic

For ヤク, imagine a yak carrying a heavy load of duties: yak -> ヤク, and the yak is performing its service.