元

beginning

Stroke count: 4

Readings

On readingゲン、ガン

Kun readingもと

JLPT level: N4 Jōyō Grade 2

Meanings

beginningRtK
former time
origin

source
basis
base

Synonyms

Popular Usage

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

元