画
brush-stroke, picture
Readings
On'yomi
- ガ
- カク
- エ
- カイ
Kun'yomi
- えが.く
- かく.する
- かぎ.る
- はかりごと
- はか.る
Meaning
画 centers on creating a visual representation: a picture, a drawing, or the individual brush-strokes that make one up.
Most common words using 画
24 of 603- 映画えいがN5
movie; film; motion picture
- 動画どうがN1
video (esp. digital); video clip; clip
- 漫画まんがN5
cartoon; comic; comic strip; manga
- 画像がぞうN3
image; picture; portrait
- 計画けいかくN4
plan; project; schedule; scheme; program; programme
- 企画きかくN1
planning; plan; project; arrangements
- 画面がめんN3
screen (of a TV, computer, etc.)
- 画かくN1
stroke (of a kanji)
- 録画ろくがN4
(video) recording
- 絵画かいがN3
painting; picture
- 画家がかN3
painter; artist
- 区画くかくN1
division; section; compartment; block; plot; lot; partition; boundary
- 原画げんが
original picture
- 画期的かっきてきN1
ground-breaking; revolutionary; unprecedented; epoch-making
- 参画さんかく
taking part (in planning); participation
- 洋画ようがN1
Western painting
- 邦画ほうが
Japanese film
- 壁画へきが
fresco; mural; wall painting
- 版画はんがN1
woodcut; woodblock print; art print
- 画廊がろうN1
art gallery (esp. artworks for sale); picture gallery
- 名画めいが
famous picture; masterpiece (painting)
- 画するかくするN1
to draw (a line)
- 画伯がはく
master painter; great artist
- 戯画ぎが
caricature; cartoon; comics
Study
Etymology
画 originally depicted a field 田 with boundaries, later extended to mean drawing or planning. The modern form combines 一 (one) over 田 (field) inside 凵 (container), suggesting a delineated picture.
Meaning mnemonic
Imagine a single brush-stroke (一) outlining a field (田) inside a frame (凵), creating a picture.
Reading mnemonic
For ガ, picture a gallery (ガ) filled with pictures, each one a 画.