春 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 春 mean in Japanese?

春 means spring in Japanese. It is the season of cherry blossoms and new beginnings: the school year and the fiscal year both start in spring, making 春 one of the most culturally important season words.

春 has two main readings. Read it as はる (haru) when it stands alone or in words such as 春休み (haruyasumi, spring break), and as シュン (shun) in compounds such as 青春 (seishun, youth). 春 also appears in 新春 (shinshun), a formal word for the New Year.

Reading

On’yomi: シュン (shun)

Kun’yomi: はる (haru)

Basic Information

Kanji 春
Meaning spring (season)
Stroke Count 9
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

春 carries a sense of beginnings: school entrance ceremonies, new jobs, and the new fiscal year all belong to spring in Japan. The reading はる handles everyday words, while シュン appears in 青春 (youth), literally the springtime of life, and in formal words such as 新春 (the New Year). Spring vocabulary clusters around cherry blossoms and 花見 (flower viewing).

Common Words

  • 春（はる / haru） — spring
  • 春休み（はるやすみ / haruyasumi） — spring break
  • 青春（せいしゅん / seishun） — youth, springtime of life
  • 春風（はるかぜ / harukaze） — spring breeze
  • 新春（しんしゅん / shinshun） — the New Year (formal)
  • 春巻き（はるまき / harumaki） — spring roll

Example Sentences

  • 日本の春は桜がきれいです。

    にほんのはるはさくらがきれいです。 / Nihon no haru wa sakura ga kirei desu.

    Spring in Japan has beautiful cherry blossoms.

  • 春休みに京都へ行きました。

    はるやすみにきょうとへいきました。 / Haruyasumi ni Kyouto e ikimashita.

    I went to Kyoto during spring break.

  • 春になると暖かくなります。

    はるになるとあたたかくなります。 / Haru ni naru to atatakaku narimasu.

    When spring comes, it gets warm.

Related Kanji

  • 夏

    — 夏 means summer, the season that follows 春; learning the four seasons as a set makes each one easier to remember.

  • 秋

    — 秋 means autumn; 春 and 秋 are the two mild seasons, paired in words like 春秋 and in everyday comparisons of the year.

  • 花

    — 花 means flower, the symbol of Japanese spring; 春 and 花 meet in 花見 (cherry blossom viewing), the defining event of the season.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

春休み (spring break) falls between school years in March and April. 青春 (seishun) appears constantly in song, manga, and movie titles about youth. If you visit Japan in spring, 花見 (hanami, cherry blossom viewing) and 桜 (sakura) will dominate conversations, with 春 as the season word tying them together.

Summary

春 means spring, the season of cherry blossoms and new starts, appearing in everyday words like 春休み and the evocative 青春.