借
借 — Borrow
borrow, rent
On’yomiシャク (shaku)
Kun’yomiかりる (kariru)
Stroke order (10 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 借
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 借金 | しゃっきん shakkin | debt; loan; liabilities |
| 借入金 | かりいれきん kariirekin | loan; loan payable; debt |
| 借款 | しゃっかん shakkan | loan (esp. between governments) |
| 借り入れ | かりいれ kariire | borrowing (money) |
| 借地 | しゃくち shakuchi | leased land |
| 借りる | かりる kariru | to borrow; to rent; to hire |
Study notes
借 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 10 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 4), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #932 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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