Back to dictionary
JLPT N19画 · 9 strokesradical 辵grade 3freq #411

chase, drive away, follow, pursue

Also: meanwhile

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ツイ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • お.う

Mnemonic

As the relentless storm clouds (the radicalがん) chase the sun across the sky, they drive away the warm light, pursuing it relentlessly.

About this kanji

The kanji 追 means to chase or follow, often conveying a sense of pursuit. It is frequently used as a verb, as seen in the word 追う (おう), which means 'to chase.' There are also several important compounds that expand its meaning, such as 追加 (ついか), meaning 'addition,' and 追及 (ついきゅう), which refers to an investigation, often concerning someone's guilt. Another compound, 追悼 (ついとう), is used for 'mourning' someone who has passed away. When using 追, it often reflects a context of moving after something or someone, whether physically or metaphorically.

Example sentences

  • 私は彼を追いかけたが、捕まえられなかった。

    I chased him but couldn't catch up.

Meanings across languages

English
chase, drive away, follow, pursue, meanwhile
Tiếng Việt
săn đuổi, đuổi đi, theo dõi, theo đuổi, trong khi
日本語
追う, 追い払う, 後を追う, 追及する, その間に
한국어
추적하다, 쫓아내다, 따르다, 추구하다, 그 동안에
中文
追逐, 驱赶, 跟随, 追求, 与此同时
id
mengejar, mengusir, mengikuti, melanjutkan, sementara
th
ไล่ตาม, ขับไล่, ติดตาม, ติดตาม, ในขณะเดียวกัน
es
perseguir, ahuyentar, seguir, perseguir, mientras tanto
fr
poursuivre, chasser, suivre, poursuivre, pendant ce temps
de
verfolgen, vertreiben, verfolgen, jagen, in der Zwischenzeit
pt
perseguir, afugentar, seguir, pursuir, enquanto isso

Common compounds

  • 追うおうto chase, to run after, to pursue
  • 追加ついかaddition, supplement, appending
  • 追及ついきゅうinvestigation (e.g. into someone's guilt), questioning, pressing
  • 追悼ついとうmourning
  • 追放ついほうexile, banishment, eviction
  • 追い風おいかぜtailwind, fair wind, favorable wind (favourable)
  • 追い込むおいこむto herd, to drive, to chase
  • 追っかけるおっかけるto chase, to run after, to pursue

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.