元 — origin, former, beginning
もと
元
origin
もと
U+5143
Unicode hex codepoint — a unique identifier for this character in the Unicode standard.
Freq #192
Frequency rank among the ~2,500 most common kanji in Japanese newspapers. Lower number = more common.
Heisig #59
Index in James Heisig's "Remembering the Kanji" — a popular textbook that teaches kanji through mnemonics and stories.
Remember 元
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Meanings
- origin
- former
- beginning
- foundation
Readings
- On'yomi
- げん gen がん gan
- Kun'yomi
- もと moto
word
もと moto Kun'yomi Kun'yomi (訓読み) — the native Japanese reading of this kanji. Used when the kanji appears alone or with okurigana (trailing hiragana).
げん gen On'yomi On'yomi (音読み) — the Sino-Japanese reading, derived from Chinese pronunciation. Most commonly used in compound words (jukugo).
がん gan On'yomi On'yomi (音読み) — the Sino-Japanese reading, derived from Chinese pronunciation. Most commonly used in compound words (jukugo).
Words by frequency and grade
33 wordsEach dot is a word containing 元: further left is more common, higher up needs a later school grade (the grade of its hardest kanji). Click a dot to open the word.
S = secondary school · 14 words have no frequency rank; they sit in the Unranked column.
Appears in idioms
Components
Composed of
Used as component in (4)
Compound ideograph (会意). 儿 (person's legs) below 二 (two lines = the head). The top of a person — the origin, the beginning.