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old, reason

JLPT N1 Grade 5 9 strokes
Kun'yomi
ゆえ・ふる.い・もと
On'yomi

故 means "old, reason". It is a JLPT N1 kanji written in 9 strokes. It is read ゆえ・ふる.い・もと in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and コ in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 5.

故 in example sentences

  • じこにあいました。

    Jiko ni aimashita.

    I had an accident.

  • なぜなかったの?

    Naze konakatta no?

    Why didn't you come?

  • じこしたんだって?

    Jiko shitan da tte?

    I heard you had an accident.

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 故

Common questions

What does the kanji 故 mean?
故 means "old, reason". It is a JLPT N1 kanji.
How many strokes does 故 have?
故 is written in 9 strokes.
How is 故 read?
It is read ゆえ・ふる.い・もと in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and コ in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 故?
故 is a JLPT N1 kanji.