元

origin, vigor

JLPT N4 Grade 2 4 strokes

Kun'yomi: もと
On'yomi: ゲン・ガン

元 means "origin, vigor". It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 4 strokes. It is read もと in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ゲン・ガン in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 2.

Example word

元気げんき

healthy

元 in example sentences

元気げんきです。

Genki desu.

I'm OK.
元気げんきでね！

Genki de ne!

Take care!
お元気げんきで！

O genki de!

Good luck to you!

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

Words that use 元

Common questions

What does the kanji 元 mean?: 元 means "origin, vigor". It is a JLPT N4 kanji.
How many strokes does 元 have?: 元 is written in 4 strokes.
How is 元 read?: It is read もと in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ゲン・ガン in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 元?: 元 is a JLPT N4 kanji.

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