rare, uncommon

About this kanji

The kanji 「稀」 primarily means "rare" or "uncommon." It can be used as both a noun and an adjective, with the kun'yomi reading まれ for native Japanese contexts. A few common compound words featuring this kanji include 稀薄 (きはく), which means "thin," often used to describe something lacking in density, and 稀有 (けう), meaning "rare" in a more abstract sense, often to describe people or situations. Another example is 稀少 (きしょう), which also means "rare" and is often used in contexts like rare species. A helpful note is that while this kanji can describe things that are unusual or hard to find, it also carries a sense of value in its rarity.

Built from

Example sentences

• この場所は稀な種の植物がある。

  This place has rare species of plants.

Meanings across languages

English

rare, uncommon

Tiếng Việt

hiếm khi, không thường xuyên

日本語

まれ, 希な

한국어

희귀한, 드문

中文

稀有, 不寻常

id

langka, tidak umum

th

หายาก, ไม่ธรรมดา

es

raro, poco común

fr

rare, inhabituel

de

selten, ungewöhnlich

pt

raro, incomum

Common compounds

• 稀薄きはくthin, rarefied
• 稀有けうrare, unusual
• 稀少きしょうrare, scarce