命 – fate, command, decree

8 strokesTaught in grade 3#465 in newspaper frequencyN4 vocabulary

The kanji 命 means fate, command, decree, destiny, life, appoint. Its on’yomi (Chinese-derived reading) is メイ、ミョウ (mei, myou); its kun’yomi (native Japanese reading) is いのち (inochi). It is written with 8 strokes, under radical 口 (no. 30).

Stroke order

Stroke order from KanjiVG. Practise others with the stroke order lookup.

Readings

Type	Reading	Romaji
On’yomi	メイ	mei
On’yomi	ミョウ	myou
Kun’yomi	いのち	inochi

A dot separates the kanji’s part from the okurigana (kana written after it), e.g. まな.ぶ → 学ぶ.

Radical and components

Radical: 口 (Kangxi radical 30). Components: 口・个・卩・一.

Words using 命

一生懸命いっしょうけんめいvery hard命いのちlife生命せいめいlife命令めいれいorder命じるめいじるto order懸命けんめいeager寿命じゅみょうlifespan人命じんめい(human) life命ずるめいずるto order任命にんめいappointment運命うんめいfate革命かくめいrevolution使命しめいmission宿命しゅくめいfate命中めいちゅう(direct) hit

Example sentences

もっと一生懸命勉強すべきだったのに。

You should have worked harder.

Tatoeba #193301

その犬は少女の命を救った。

The dog saved the girl's life.

Tatoeba #210969

生命はいつ誕生したのですか。

When did life come into being?

Tatoeba #142688

Kanji with the same radical

同合員問和名向告品各台口営可商味

Sources: KANJIDIC2 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0), Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). About the data.