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JLPT N113画 · 13 strokesradical 木

square character style, correctness

On'yomi (音読み)

  • カイ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

Imagine a perfectly shaped wooden tree trunk, standing tall, like square characters carved correctly into its bark, representing the essence of precise writing.

About this kanji

The kanji 楷 (かい) primarily conveys the idea of a 'square character style' or 'correctness.' It is used mainly in nouns rather than verbs. A common compound is 楷書 (かいしょ), which refers to the printed style of writing Chinese characters, emphasizing clarity and precision. Another important compound is 楷書体 (かいしょたい), meaning a square or block style of printed typeface, often used in formal documents. Additionally, 楷行草 (かいぎょうそう) combines styles, referring to the printed, semi-cursive, and cursive scripts that display varying degrees of fluidity. A usage note is that while the character revolves around neatness and correctness, it’s largely associated with writing styles rather than everyday actions.

Example sentences

  • 楷書は漢字の基本形だ。

    The kaisho style is the basic form of kanji.

Meanings across languages

English
square character style, correctness
Tiếng Việt
chữ vuông, chính xác
日本語
楷, 正確
한국어
명조체, 정확성
中文
楷书, 正确性
id
gaya kotak
th
แบบตัวอักษรสี่เหลี่ยม
es
estilo cuadrado
fr
style carré
de
viereckiger Stil
pt
estilo quadrado

Common compounds

  • 楷書かいしょprinted style (of writing Chinese characters), square style, block style
  • 楷書体かいしょたいsquare (block) style of printed typeface
  • 楷行草かいぎょうそうprinted, semi-cursive, and cursive scripts
  • 楷の木かいのきChinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis)

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