能 – ability, talent, skill

10 strokesTaught in grade 5#273 in newspaper frequencyN3 vocabulary

The kanji 能 means ability, talent, skill, capacity. Its on’yomi (Chinese-derived reading) is ノウ (nou); its kun’yomi (native Japanese reading) is よ.く、あた.う (yoku, atau). It is written with 10 strokes, under radical 肉 (no. 130).

Stroke order

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

Readings

Type	Reading	Romaji
On’yomi	ノウ	nou
Kun’yomi	よ.く	yoku
Kun’yomi	あた.う	atau

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: 肉 (Kangxi radical 130). Components: 月・匕・厶.

Words using 能

能のうtalent可能かのうpossible機能きのうfunction才能さいのうtalent有能ゆうのうable知能ちのうintelligence能力のうりょくability芸能げいのうpublic entertainment性能せいのうability能率のうりつefficiency技能ぎのうtechnical skill本能ほんのうinstinct無能むのうincompetence万能ばんのうall-purpose放射能ほうしゃのうradioactivity

Example sentences

能は伝統的な日本の芸術である。

Noh is a traditional Japanese art.

Tatoeba #121728

男の子へのしつけは可能である。

Boys can be trained to behave.

Tatoeba #127251

こんな余計な機能なんでつけたんだろう。

What did they add this needless function for?

Tatoeba #217306

Kanji with the same radical

育脳背脱肉臓肝胸腕脅肩腐脚腹膨腰

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