Back to dictionary
JLPT N18画 · 8 strokesradical 日grade 5freq #571

easy, ready to, simple, fortune-telling

Also: divination

On'yomi (音読み)

  • エキ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • やさ.しい
  • やす.い

Mnemonic

The sun (日) rises easily, casting simple shadows that predict fortunes for the day, reminding us how easy life can be.

About this kanji

The kanji 「易」 primarily means "easy" or "simple," and it can also refer to fortune-telling. It is often used as a noun or in compound words. For instance, "安易" (あんい) means "easy" or "carefree," while "貿易" (ぼうえき) refers to "trade," particularly international trade. Another common compound is "容易" (ようい), which also means "easy to do." When used in adjectives like "易い" (やすい), it expresses the idea of something being easy or inexpensive. A quick note: while this kanji has many meanings, in everyday conversation, it usually relates to simplicity or ease.

Example sentences

  • この問題は易しかった。

    This problem was easy.

Meanings across languages

English
easy, ready to, simple, fortune-telling, divination
Tiếng Việt
dễ
日本語
易しい
한국어
쉬운
中文
id
mudah
th
ง่าย
es
fácil
fr
facile
de
einfach
pt
fácil

Common compounds

  • 安易あんいeasy, simple, easygoing
  • 貿易ぼうえき(foreign) trade, (international) commerce, importing and exporting
  • 容易よういeasy, simple, plain
  • 易いやすいeasy, likely to ..., have a tendency to ...
  • 簡易かんいsimple, simplified, easy
  • 交易こうえきtrade, commerce
  • 難易なんい(relative) difficulty
  • 易しいやさしいeasy, plain, simple

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.