← Back

元

Origin
Stroke count: 4

Readings

On readingゲン、ガン
Kun readingもと
JLPT level: N4JōyōGrade 2Level 4

Verbs with «元»

還元する復元する

Meanings

  1. origin
  2. beginningRtK
  3. former time
  1. source
  2. basis
  3. base

Synonyms

下和歌角

Homonyms

ⓘ
Same reading (もと)
下 · under (guidance, supervision, rules, the law, etc…

Popular Usage

元気還元元年元来元首元素

Radicals and components

Radical儿legs
Components
How it's built
元
  • →
  • →
    • →

Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

two (二) · human legs (儿)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 63

Compound words

元気げんき
lively; full of spirit; energetic; vigorous; vital
喉元のどもと
throat; important part
元気なげんきな
healthy, fine
還元かんげん
restoration; return; reduction; resolution; deoxidization
元首げんしゅ
sovereign; ruler; head of state
元年がんねん
first year (of an imperial era); year something (important) first happened or began
元来がんらい
originally; essentially; naturally; by nature; really
元素げんそ
element; chemical element; (classical) element (e.g. earth, water, air, fire); origin; source
一元いちげん
single element; unitary; one era; one unknown
家元いえもと
head of a school (of music, dance); head family of a school
紀元きげん
era; CE (Common Era); AD (Anno Domini)
襟元えりもと
(around the) neck; nape; collar (at the front of a coat, kimono, etc.); collar area
元号げんごう
name of an imperial era (e.g. Heisei, Shōwa); Japanese era name
元帥げんすい
(field) marshal; (fleet) admiral; general of the army
元祖がんそ
originator; pioneer; inventor; founder; progenitor
元旦がんたん
New Year's Day; first day of the year; New Year's morning; morning of New Year's Day
元日がんじつ
New Year's Day
元本がんぽん
principal; capital; income-producing assets
元老げんろう
elder statesman; doyen; old-timer; authority; genrō (member of a pre-WWII body that informally advised the emperor)
元禄げんろく
Genroku era (1688.9.30-1704.3.13)
次元じげん
dimension; perspective; point of reference; level (of something)
手元てもと
at hand; on hand; nearby; close at hand; way of moving one's arms
身元みもと
(one's) identity; background; upbringing; birth (and parentage); (one's) character
地元じもと
home area; home town; local

Additional Examples

彼は貧しいが元気は良い。
He is poor, but he is in high spirits.tatoeba
彼は非常に年をとっているが元気だ。
He is active although he is very old.tatoeba
彼は彼女の足元に崩れるように倒れた。
He collapsed at her feet.tatoeba
彼は地元紙の本の批評家です。
He is the book critic for the local newspaper.tatoeba
養和元年八月 日
August (old lunar calendar) 1181wiki
慶応元年、死去。
He died in 1865.wiki
元来は道教の祭祀。
It was originally a Taoist religious ritual.wiki
元来は道教の呪文。
It was originally a Taoist spell.wiki
子孫に安倍晋三元首相がいる。
The former prime minister Shinzo ABE is his descendant.wiki
- 妻は山本権兵衛元首相の娘
His wife was a daughter of the former prime minister of Japan, Gonbei Yamamoto.wiki
放射性同位元素総合センター
Radioisotope Research Centerwiki
附属元素科学国際研究センター
International Research Center for Elements Science, attached to the Institutewiki

Stroke Order

4 strokes

Origin. 二 (the head) + 儿 (legs) — a person's head, where they begin.

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 元

Draw with a guide, then from memory — checked at every step