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On'yomi
コウ
KOU
Kun'yomi
む.く・む.い・-む.き・む.ける・-む.け・む.かう・む.かい・む.こう・む.こう-・むこ・むか.い
muku / mui / muki / mukeru / muke / mukau / mukai / mukou / mukou / muko / mukai

yonder · facing · beyond · confront · defy · tend toward · approach

Details

Strokes6
Frequency#182
Radicalmouth(3)
Old Form

Stroke Order

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Strokes6

Component Breakdown

=
丿

丿 + 冂 + mouth

Cultural Context

Etymology

Composed of roof and mouth. Heading to house.

Symbolism

Direction, tendency, improvement. Represents heading.

Related Culture & Scenes

  • Era of war

Words & Expressions

Four-Character Compounds

方向転換

ほうこうてんかん

change of course; change of course

面向不背

めんこうふはい

flawless; flawless

Proverbs & Idioms

向かうところ敵なし

むかうところてきなし

No enemy wherever one goes

Invincible

Poetry

和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

このたびは ぬさもとりあへず 手向山 紅葉のにしき 神のまにまに

Poem #24 from Hyakunin Isshu

菅家Sugawara no Michizane
9th century

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 向 mean in Japanese?

向 means yonder, facing, beyond, confront, defy, tend toward, approach.

How do you read 向?

On'yomi: コウ (KOU). Kun'yomi: む.く、む.い、-む.き、む.ける、-む.け、む.かう、む.かい、む.こう、む.こう-、むこ、むか.い (muku, mui, muki, mukeru, muke, mukau, mukai, mukou, mukou, muko, mukai).

How many strokes does 向 have?

向 has 6 strokes. Its radical is 口 (mouth).

Is 向 a good kanji for a tattoo?

Yes. 向 (yonder, facing, beyond, confront, defy, tend toward, approach) has a clear positive meaning and no embarrassing alternate readings, making it a solid tattoo choice.

Explore by meaning:kanji for beyond · kanji for confront · kanji for defy · kanji for approach