shape, form, style

About this kanji

The kanji 形, which means shape, form, or style, is used mainly as a noun. You will often see it in compounds like 形式 (けいしき), meaning form or format, as well as 形成 (けいせい), which refers to the process of formation. Another common compound is 形態 (けいたい), meaning form or appearance. You might also come across 人形 (にんぎょう), meaning doll. An important note about 形 is that it can convey both physical shapes and abstract concepts, such as styles in art or fashion, so it’s quite versatile in usage.

Example sentences

• この形は美しい。

  This shape is beautiful.

Meanings across languages

English

shape, form, style

Tiếng Việt

hình dạng, hình thức, kiểu dáng

日本語

形, フォーム, スタイル

한국어

형태, 형식, 스타일

中文

形状, 形式, 风格

id

bentuk

th

รูป

es

forma, estilo

fr

forme, style

de

Gestalt, Form

pt

forma

Common compounds

• 形式けいしきform (as opposed to substance), format, form
• 形成けいせいformation, molding, making (up)
• 形態けいたいform, shape, figure
• 人形にんぎょうdoll, puppet, marionette
• 山形やまがたYamagata (city, prefecture), mountain shape, chevron
• 花形はながたfloral pattern, flourish, ornament
• 形見かたみmemento (esp. of a deceased person), keepsake, heirloom
• 形状けいじょうshape, form