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判 (はん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

判はん

also: ばん

は

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

seal; stamp; monogram signature

Only with reading はん

Refers to a personal seal (hanko) or the impression it makes, used for official documents and signatures.

契けい約やく書しょに判はんを押おす。
I affix my seal to the contract.

2

noun

judgment; decision

Only with reading はん

Used in contexts like court rulings or personal evaluations. Often appears in compounds such as 判決 or 判断.

Written forms

判Usage77%
- はん
  Standard kanji spelling for all senses. Reading はん is the most common.
- ばん
  Rare reading, mostly in compounds. Not used for the common senses.

裁さい判ばん官かんの判はんが下くだった。
The judge's decision was handed down.

3

noun, noun, used as a suffix

size (of paper or books)

Used as a suffix to indicate book or paper sizes, e.g., B5判 (B5 size).

See also: 判型

この本ほんはA5判はんです。
This book is A5 size.

はん

Usage13%

ばんUsage11%

Kanji

判judgement, judgment, signature

Similar words

印いん鑑かん
印鑑 refers to the physical seal or stamp itself, while 判 can refer to the impression or the act of sealing.
判はん断だん
判断 is the more common word for judgment or decision-making, while 判 alone is more formal and often used in legal contexts.

Etymology

The kanji 判 originally meant 'to divide' or 'to distinguish', which extended to 'judgment' and later to 'seal' (as a mark of approval). The reading はん is the standard on'yomi.