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JLPT N15画 · 5 strokesradical 口grade 5freq #511

history, chronicle

On'yomi (音読み)

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

The open mouth (口) whispers tales of the past, preserving the history (史) for all to hear.

About this kanji

The kanji 史 primarily means 'history' or 'chronicle.' It is commonly found in nouns rather than verbs. For instance, in the word 歴史 (れきし), which means 'history,' you can see how it relates to past events. Another example is 史上 (しじょう), meaning 'in history,' often used to discuss achievements or events. Additionally, 女史 (じょし) refers to a 'lady' of high social status, such as a respected scholar or artist. A usage note to remember is that while 史 itself doesn't have a kun'yomi reading, its on'yomi reading, シ, is used in various compounds, making it a key kanji for understanding historical contexts.

Example sentences

  • 日本の歴史を学ぶのが好きだ。

    I like studying Japanese history.

Meanings across languages

English
history, chronicle
Tiếng Việt
lịch sử, biên niên
日本語
歴史, 年代記
한국어
역사, 연대기
中文
历史, 编年
id
sejarah
th
ประวัติศาสตร์
es
historia
fr
histoire
de
Geschichte
pt
história

Common compounds

  • 史上しじょうin history, ever, historical
  • 女史じょしlady (of high social status; e.g. scholar, artist, critic, politician), Ms, Mrs
  • 歴史れきしhistory
  • 歴史的れきしてきhistorical, traditional, historic
  • 史家しかhistorian
  • 史学しがくstudy of history
  • 史実しじつhistorical fact
  • 史料しりょうhistorical materials, historical records, historical sources

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