drive, run, gallop, advance
Also: inspire, impel
On'yomi (音読み)
- ク
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- か.ける
- か.る
About this kanji
The kanji 駆, pronounced as "ku" in On'yomi and "kakeru" or "karu" in Kun'yomi, primarily means to drive or run. It is commonly used in verbs, highlighting action. You will often find it in compounds like 駆使 (kushi), which means to use something freely, and 駆け引き (kakehiki), referring to bargaining or negotiation. Another example is 駆除 (kujo), meaning extermination, often in the context of pests. Interestingly, it can also refer to action in the sense of driving or inspiring forward momentum. When using 駆, remember it conveys a sense of speed or advancement.
Example sentences
子供たちが遊びに駆け回る。
The children run around playing.
Meanings across languages
- English
- drive, run, gallop, advance, inspire, impel
- Tiếng Việt
- lái, chạy, phi, tiến, thúc đẩy, thúc giục
- 日本語
- く, はしる, がんばる, すすめる, ひきづる
- 한국어
- 구동하다, 달리다, 질주, 진격하다, 영감을 주다
- 中文
- 驱动, 奔跑, 飞奔, 推进, 激励, 驱使
- id
- mendorong
- th
- ขับเคลื่อน
- es
- conducir, impulsar
- fr
- conduire, pousser
- de
- fahren, vorantreiben
- pt
- impelir
Common compounds
- 駆使using freely, making full use of, having a good command of
- 駆け引きbargaining, haggling, tactics
- 駆除extermination (of pests), eradication, stamping out (e.g. a social evil)
- 駆動drive, driving (force)
- 先駆forerunner, precursor, pioneer
- 駆けるto run, to dash, to race
- 駆け足running fast, double time, cantering
- 駆逐艦destroyer (ship)
Words using this kanji
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.