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JLPT N119画 · 19 strokesradical 金grade 4freq #1506

mirror, speculum, barrel-head, round rice-cake offering

On'yomi (音読み)

  • キョウ
  • ケイ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • かがみ

Mnemonic

A shiny metal mirror reflects a perfect round rice cake, its surface gleaming like polished gold against the light.

About this kanji

The kanji 「鏡」 (kagami) primarily means 'mirror' and is used both as a noun and in compound words. You might find it in everyday items like「眼鏡」(megane), which means 'glasses,' helping to correct vision. Another common example is「顕微鏡」(kenbikyō), meaning 'microscope,' used in science to see tiny things. Additionally, there's「望遠鏡」(bōenkyō), which means 'telescope,' allowing us to look at distant stars. It's interesting to note that mirrors not only reflect our image but also are often associated with deeper meanings in culture and art.

Example sentences

  • 鏡で自分を見た。

    I looked at myself in the mirror.

Meanings across languages

English
mirror, speculum, barrel-head, round rice-cake offering
Tiếng Việt
gương, phản chiếu, đầu thùng, bánh chưng arrê
日本語
鏡, スペキュラム, 樽頭, 丸い餅
한국어
거울, 관상경, 통머리, 둥근 떡
中文
镜子, 镜子, 桶头, 圆饺子
id
cermin
th
กระจก
es
espejo
fr
miroir
de
Spiegel
pt
espelho

Common compounds

  • 眼鏡メガネglasses, eyeglasses, spectacles
  • 顕微鏡けんびきょうmicroscope
  • 望遠鏡ぼうえんきょうtelescope
  • 双眼鏡そうがんきょうbinoculars, field glasses
  • 内視鏡ないしきょうendoscope
  • 電子顕微鏡でんしけんびきょうelectron microscope
  • 万華鏡まんげきょうkaleidoscope
  • 電波望遠鏡でんぱぼうえんきょうradio telescope

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.