字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

co-, cooperation

On’yomi キョウ

Origin

The character 協 combines two elements to express the idea of cooperation. On the left, the component 十 (ten) acts as a classifier suggesting togetherness or combination. On the right, 劦 serves as a sound hint, helping indicate the pronunciation キョウ without contributing to the meaning itself. Together, these components form a character whose shape came to represent people working together toward a common goal.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).

協 8 strokes

Components

  • 十 radical left
  • 劦 sound hint right

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 協会 きょうかい association; society
  • 協議 きょうぎ conference; consultation
  • 協賛 きょうさん support; mutual aid
  • 協調 きょうちょう cooperation; conciliation
  • 協定 きょうてい arrangement; pact
  • 協和 きょうわ concord; harmony
  • 生協 せいきょう co-op; (consumers') cooperative
  • 妥協 だきょう compromise; giving in

Related kanji

Same sound component 劦
Same radical

Reference

Strokes
8
Kangxi radical
24
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#121 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+05354