Back to dictionary
JLPT N38画 · 8 strokesradical 刀grade 4freq #1500

vice, assist, subordinate

On'yomi (音読み)

  • フク

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • そ.える
  • そ.う
  • はん.じる

Mnemonic

Picture a vice-principal with a knife, assisting students by slicing through problems into two parts, making their lives easier.

About this kanji

The kanji 副 (fuku) primarily conveys the meanings of 'vice,' 'assist,' or 'subordinate.' It is commonly used in nouns rather than verbs. For example, 副社長 (ふくしゃちょう) means 'vice president,' referring to a position that assists the company president. Another example is 副作用 (ふくさよう), which translates to 'side effect,' typically used in a medical context. Additionally, 副食 (ふくしょく) means 'side dish,' often found in meals. A useful note is that 副 can indicate something that supports or is secondary to something else, making it a versatile component in various terms.

Built from

Example sentences

  • 副社長が会議に来た。

    The vice president came to the meeting.

Meanings across languages

English
vice, assist, subordinate
Tiếng Việt
phó, trợ lý, phụ tá
日本語
副, 助ける, 補助
한국어
부, 보조, 하위
中文
副, 助手, 下属
id
wakil, bantuan, bawahan
th
รอง, ช่วย, ลูกน้อง
es
vicio, asistencia, subordinado
fr
vice, assist, subordonnée
de
Vize, Unterstützung, Untergebener
pt
vice, assistente, subordinado

Common compounds

  • 副社長ふくしゃちょうvice president (of a company)
  • 副作用ふくさようside effect
  • 副食ふくしょくside dish
  • 副音声ふくおんせいsecondary audio (e.g. in broadcasts)

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.