Meaning & readings
duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office, service, role
On’yomi ヤク、エキ
Nanori ちゃく
Origin
The left component shows a person walking or standing, while the right component represents a weapon or tool. Together they depict a person carrying out duties or military service, which evolved into the general meaning of duty or office. The character essentially shows someone actively engaged in their assigned role or labor, whether as a soldier in a campaign or in civilian service. This visual combination of a person in action with implements of work captures the core idea of obligation and service that the character carries today.
Components
- 彳
- 殳
Common words
- 悪役 あくやく villain; baddie
- 現役 げんえき active duty; active service
- 三役 さんやく three highest ranks (wrestling, unions, etc.)
- 主役 しゅやく leading part; leading actor
- 重役 じゅうやく (company) director; executive
- 助役 じょやく assistant official
- 代役 だいやく substitute (actor); stand-in
- 懲役 ちょうえき penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor (hard labour)
Easily confused with
These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.
Reference
- Strokes
- 7
- Kangxi radical
- 60
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #315 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+05F79