Moto 元: Beginning; Former Time; OriginKanji meaning, readings, and the words that use it
- On'yomi
- ゲン、ガン
- Kun'yomi
- もと
- Level
- JLPT N4Jōyō, grade 2
- Words
- 491 in the dictionary
Words that use the on'yomi (ゲン・ガン)
- 元首げんしゅsovereign; ruler
- 元気げんきlively; full of spirit
- 元日がんじつNew Year's Day
- 元年がんねんfirst year (of an imperial era)
- 還元かんげんrestoration; return
- 次元じげんdimension
- 一元いちげんunitary
- 中元ちゅうげん15th day of the 7th lunar month; (last day of) Bon lantern festival
- 復元ふくげんrestoration (to original state or location); reconstruction
- 一元化いちげんかunification; centralization
- 元凶げんきょうringleader; main culprit
- 元祖がんそoriginator; pioneer
- 元帥げんすい(field) marshal; (fleet) admiral
- 元来がんらいoriginally; essentially
- 紀元前きげんぜんpre-era; BC
- 元禄げんろくGenroku era (1688.9.30-1704.3.13)
- お中元おちゅうげんmid-year gift; summer gift
- 三次元さんじげんthree dimensions; three dimensional
- 二元にげんduality; binary (system)
- 二元論にげんろんdualism
- 二次元にじげんtwo dimensions
- 元利がんりprincipal and interest
- 元号げんごうname of an imperial era (e.g. Heisei, Shōwa); Japanese era name
- 元旦がんたんNew Year's Day
- 元素げんそelement; chemical element
- 元老げんろうelder statesman; doyen
- 元金がんきんcapital; principal
- 多元たげんpluralism; diversity
- 多元的たげんてきpluralistic; plural
- 紀元きげんera
- お元気ですかおげんきですかhow are you?
Words that use a kun'yomi
- 地元じもとhome area; home town
- 元もとorigin; source
- 足元あしもとat one's feet; underfoot
- 身元みもとperson's identity; ID
- 手元てもとat hand; on hand
- 家元いえもとhead of a school (of music, dance); head family of a school
- 元よりもとよりfrom the beginning; from the first
- 元帳もとちょうledger
- 元手もとでcapital; funds
- 元締めもとじめmanager; controller
- 元通りもとどおりas before; as ever
- 国元くにもとone's home; hometown
- 山元やまもとfoot of a mountain; base of a mountain
- 本元ほんもとorigin; main branch of family
- 火元ひもとorigin of a fire
- 版元はんもとpublisher
- 窯元かまもとpottery (i.e. the place)
- 耳元みみもとclose to the ear
- 胸元むなもとbreast; chest
- 蔵元くらもとbrewery (sake, soy); brewer
- 襟元えりもと(around the) neck; nape
- 親元おやもとone's parents' home
- 開発元かいはつもとdeveloper (of software, video games, etc.)
- えり元えりもと(around the) neck; nape
- おひざ元おひざもとbeside a nobleman; close aid (of a nobleman, etc.)
Other readings
- 元本がんぽんprincipal (invest.); capital
- 元々もともとoriginally; by nature
- 出版元しゅっぱんもとpublisher
- ３次元さんじげんthree dimensions; three dimensional
Showing the 60 most common of 491 words. See them all in the graph.
Kanji that often appear with 元
Every word here opens into its own kanji. Follow the branches in Moto.
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