字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

instruction, Japanese character reading, explanation, read

On’yomi クン、キン
Kun’yomi おし.える、よ.む、くん.ずる
Nanori く、くに、くの、さとし、のり、ふみ

Origin

The character 訓 combines the radical for "words" or "speech" (言) on the left with a sound component (川) on the right that hints at its pronunciation. The "words" radical makes sense because the character refers to explanations, instructions, and readings—all things conveyed through language. The川 component doesn't contribute meaning; it simply suggests how the character should sound. Together, the shape evolved to mean instruction and explanation, the core ideas of what we communicate through words.

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

訓 10 strokes

Components

  • 言 radical left
  • 川 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

  • 音訓 おんくん kanji readings
  • 教訓 きょうくん lesson; precept
  • 訓戒 くんかい warning; admonition
  • 訓示 くんじ instruction; direction
  • 訓令 くんれい directive; instructions
  • 訓練 くんれん training; drill
  • 特訓 とっくん special training; intensive training
  • 訓読み くんよみ kun reading; kun'yomi

Related kanji

Same sound component 川
Same radical

Reference

Strokes
10
Kangxi radical
149
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#1134 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+08A13