cover, lid, flap

About this kanji

The kanji 「蓋」 primarily means cover or lid and is used both as a noun and a verb. You will often encounter it in compounds, such as 円蓋 (えんがい), meaning cupola, providing the idea of a dome-like cover. Another example is 口蓋 (こうがい), which refers to the palate, the roof of the mouth, metaphorically covering what’s inside. The verb form かさ covers or protects something, while けだし expresses certainty or the notion of being covered in understanding. When using this kanji, pay attention to the context, as its meaning can vary depending on how it’s combined with other characters.

Example sentences

• その皿は蓋が付きだ。

  The dish comes with a lid.

Meanings across languages

English

cover, lid, flap

Tiếng Việt

nắp, vung, cái che

日本語

蓋, ふた

한국어

뚜껑, 덮개

中文

盖子, 罩

id

penutup, tutup, flap

th

ฝาปิด, ฝา, แผ่นปิด

es

cubierta, tapa, solapa

fr

couvercle, lid, flap

de

Deckel, Lid, Klappe

pt

cobertura, tampa, flap

Common compounds

• 円蓋えんがいcupola, dome, vault
• 掩蓋えんがいcover(ing)
• 火蓋ひぶたapron of a gun, cover for the touch-hole on a cannon or matchlock
• 蓋しけだしcertainly, really, truly
• 口蓋こうがいpalate
• 上蓋あげぶたtrap door, removable floor boards
• 天蓋てんがいcanopy, dome, priestly minstrel's reed hood
• 函蓋かんがいbox and cover