元 — origin, former, beginning
もと
元
origin
Grade 2
Japanese school grade level in which this kanji is taught. Grade 1 is first year of elementary school.
4 strokes
calendar
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.
Meanings
- origin
- former
- beginning
- foundation
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).
けん ・げん ken On'yomi On'yomi (音読み) — the Sino-Japanese reading, derived from Chinese pronunciation. Most commonly used in compound words (jukugo).
かん ・がん kan On'yomi On'yomi (音読み) — the Sino-Japanese reading, derived from Chinese pronunciation. Most commonly used in compound words (jukugo).
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.