化
化 — Change
change, take the form of, influence, enchant, delude, -ization
On’yomiカ (ka)
On’yomiケ (ke)
Kun’yomiばける (bakeru)
Kun’yomiばかす (bakasu)
Kun’yomiふける (fukeru)
Kun’yomiけする (kesuru)
Stroke order (4 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 化
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 強化 | きょうか kyouka | strengthening; intensifying; reinforcement |
| 文化 | ぶんか bunka | culture; civilization; civilisation |
| 変化 | へんか henka | change; variation; alteration |
| 悪化 | あっか akka | deterioration; getting worse; worsening |
| 化学 | かがく kagaku | chemistry |
| 酸化 | さんか sanka | oxidation; oxidization |
Study notes
化 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 4 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #89 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).
🔊 Tap the big kanji, any reading or any example word to hear it.