Back to dictionary
JLPT N118画 · 18 strokesradical 糸freq #2195

darning, repair, mend, trim

Also: tidy up, adjust

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ゼン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • つくろ.う

Mnemonic

As the tailor threads his needle (糸) to mend (繕) the torn fabric, he envisions crafting it back to perfection.

About this kanji

The kanji 繕 (つくろ) primarily means to mend or repair, often related to fixing clothing or objects. It's commonly used as a verb in forms like 繕う (つくろう), meaning 'to mend.' You can also find it in compounds like 修繕 (しゅうぜん), which means 'repair,' and 営繕 (えいぜん), referring to 'maintenance and repair.' 繕い (つくろい) can mean 'mending' as a noun. A useful note is that the kanji often carries a sense of not only fixing something but also tidying it up or making it neat.

Example sentences

  • 彼は古い服を繕って着ている。

    He is wearing his old clothes after mending them.

Meanings across languages

English
darning, repair, mend, trim, tidy up, adjust
Tiếng Việt
hàn lại
日本語
繕う
한국어
수선
中文
修补
id
memperbaiki, perbaikan, menyulam, rapi, penyesuaian
th
การปะ, ซ่อมแซม, ซ่อม, ปรับ
es
remendar, reparar, arreglar, ajustar
fr
raccommodage, réparation, repriser, ranger, ajuster
de
Stopfen, Reparatur, Ausbesserung, Trim, Ordnung, Anpassung
pt
remendo, reparo, conserto, organização, ajuste

Common compounds

  • 修繕しゅうぜんrepair, mending
  • 繕うつくろうto mend, to patch up, to repair
  • 営繕えいぜんmaintenance and repair, upkeep (of equipment)
  • 繕いつくろいmending, repair, darning
  • 繕草つくろいぐさJapanese mugwort (Artemisia princeps)
  • 修繕工しゅうぜんこうrepair man
  • 修繕費しゅうぜんひcost of repairs, repair costs
  • 身繕いみづくろいdressing oneself, personal grooming

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.