Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

磁石 (じしゃく, jishaku) Japanese meaning: magnet | Kotomora

磁じ石しゃく

also: じせき

じ

しゃ

く

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

Refers to a physical magnet or something that attracts like a magnet.

冷れい蔵ぞう庫こに磁じ石しゃくでメモを貼はった。

I stuck a note on the fridge with a magnet.

この町まちは観かん光こう客きゃくを引ひきつける磁じ石しゃくのような存そん在ざいだ。

This town is like a magnet that attracts tourists.

2

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

Short for 磁石コンパス or 方位磁石; a magnetic compass. Often used in historical or traditional contexts.

昔むかしの船ふな乗のりは磁じ石しゃくを使つかって方ほう角がくを知しった。
Sailors in the past used a compass to know the direction.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が磁じ石しゃくにつくfor something to be attracted to/stick to a magnet
クリップは磁じ石しゃくにつく。
Paper clips stick to a magnet.
磁じ石しゃくが北きたを指さすfor a compass to point north
磁じ石しゃくはいつも北きたを指さす。
A compass always points north.
磁じ石しゃくで〈物もの〉をくっつけるto attach/hold something with a magnet
メモを磁じ石しゃくで冷れい蔵ぞう庫こにくっつけた。
I stuck the note to the fridge with a magnet.

Kanji

磁magnet, porcelain
石stone

Related words

方ほう位い磁じ石しゃく sense 2
方位磁石 explicitly means a directional compass, whereas 磁石 in this sense is a shorter, more general word that can mean either a magnet or a compass depending on context.
コンパスN1sense 2
コンパス is the everyday modern word for a compass, while 磁石 in this sense tends to appear in more traditional or technical contexts.
電でん磁じ石しゃく
磁石 is the general word for any magnet, while 電磁石 refers specifically to one that becomes magnetic when electric current flows through it.
マグネット
磁石 is the standard, neutral Japanese word for a magnet, while マグネット often refers to a small everyday item like a fridge magnet or sounds like a product name.

Don't confuse with

磁じ気きN1sense 1
磁石 refers to the physical object (a magnet), while 磁気 refers to magnetism itself as a physical phenomenon.
コンパスN1
磁石 means 'magnet' in general, whereas コンパス specifically refers to the navigational instrument that uses a magnet to point north.
羅ら針しん盤ばん
磁石 primarily means 'magnet' and only casually means 'compass', whereas 羅針盤 always refers to the navigational instrument itself.

Word family· 11

電でん磁じ石しゃく
electromagnet
棒ぼう磁じ石しゃく
bar magnet
界かい磁じ石しゃく
field magnet
磁じ石しゃく盤ばん
magnetic compass

Written forms

磁石Usage86%
- じしゃく
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading じしゃく is the most common.
- じせき
  Rare alternative reading; learners should use じしゃく.
じしゃくUsage14%

Etymology

From Chinese 磁石 (císhí), literally 'magnetic stone'. The reading じしゃく is the standard Japanese adaptation; じせき is a less common Sino-Japanese reading.

一いち時じ磁じ石しゃく

temporary magnet

Show 6 more

方ほう位い磁じ石しゃく
magnetic compass
永えい久きゅう磁じ石しゃく
permanent magnet
アルニコ磁じ石しゃく
alnico magnet
ネオジム磁じ石しゃく
neodymium magnet
磁じ石しゃく式しき電でん話わ機き
magneto telephone; hand-crank telephone
フェライト磁じ石しゃく
ferrite magnet

じせき