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JLPT N112画 · 12 strokesradical 車grade 3freq #790

lightly, trifling, unimportant

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ケイ
  • キョウ
  • キン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • かる.い
  • かろ.やか
  • かろ.んじる

Mnemonic

A car (車) zooms by so lightly that it’s almost unimportant, just a fleeting thought in the busy city.

About this kanji

The kanji 軽 (けい) primarily means "light" or something that is not heavy. It is often used as an adjective and can describe weight or importance, indicating something that is trifling or unimportant. Common compounds include 軽減 (けいげん), which means "abatement" or reduction, and 軽傷 (けいしょう), meaning "minor injury." Another useful compound is 手軽 (てがる), meaning "easy" or "simple." A usage note is that 軽い (かるい) is the most straightforward form of the adjective, directly describing something light in weight or situation. This kanji is really useful when discussing anything from physical objects to emotional states!

Example sentences

  • 軽い運動が健康に良い。

    Light exercise is good for health.

Meanings across languages

English
lightly, trifling, unimportant
Tiếng Việt
nhẹ nhàng, không đáng kể, không quan trọng
日本語
軽い, 取るに足らない, 重要でない
한국어
가벼운, 사소한, 중요하지 않은
中文
轻, 琐碎, 不重要
id
ringan, sepele, tidak penting
th
เบา, ไม่สำคัญ, เล็กน้อย
es
ligeramente, insignificante, no importante
fr
légèrement, trifouille, sans importance
de
leicht, geringfügig, unbedeutend
pt
leves, insignificante, sem importância

Common compounds

  • 軽減けいげんabatement, reduction
  • 軽傷けいしょうminor injury
  • 手軽てがるeasy, simple, informal
  • 気軽きがるcarefree, buoyant, lighthearted
  • 軽いかるいlight (i.e. not heavy), feeling light (i.e. offering little resistance, moving easily), light (i.e. of foot)
  • 軽快けいかいlight (of movements), nimble, sprightly
  • 軽視けいしmaking light of, thinking little of, slighting
  • 軽震けいしんweak earthquake

Want to actually learn this kanji?

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