What does 走 mean in Japanese?
走 means to run. The kun’yomi 走る (hashiru) is the everyday verb for running and applies to both people and vehicles. 電車が走る (a train runs / is in service), 車が走る (a car drives along), バスが走る (a bus is running this route) — all use the same 走る.
走 builds straightforward compounds: 競走 (kyousou, a race) and 走者 (sousha, a runner / baserunner in baseball). The key homophone to watch is 競争 (kyousou, competition), which sounds identical to 競走 but uses different kanji and has a broader meaning.
Reading
On’yomi: ソウ (sou)
Kun’yomi: はし-る (hashi-ru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 走 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | run |
| Stroke Count | 7 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
走る covers running by people and movement by vehicles: バスが走る (the bus runs / is in service), 列車が走る (the train runs). 競走 (kyousou) is specifically a speed race between competitors. The homophone 競争 (kyousou) is broader: competition in business, study, or any contest — not necessarily a physical race. In spoken Japanese they sound identical; in writing, 競走 has 走 (run) while 競争 has 争 (dispute/compete).
Common Words
- 走る（はしる / hashiru） — to run; to travel (of vehicles)
- 競走（きょうそう / kyousou） — a race (speed competition)
- 走者（そうしゃ / sousha） — runner; baserunner (baseball)
- 脱走（だっそう / dassou） — escape, breaking out, running away
- 師走（しわす / shiwasu） — December (classical/literary term)
- 走り回る（はしりまわる / hashirimawaru） — to run around, to dash about
Example Sentences
-
毎朝、公園を走っています。
まいあさ、こうえんをはしっています。 / Maiasa, kouen o hashitte imasu.
I run in the park every morning.
-
このバスはここまで走っていますか？
このバスはここまではしっていますか？ / Kono basu wa koko made hashitte imasu ka?
Does this bus run as far as here?
-
学校まで走れば間に合います。
がっこうまではしればまにあいます。 / Gakkou made hashireba ma ni aimasu.
If you run to school, you will make it in time.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
走る is used for vehicles and routes as well as people. This surprises learners who expect 走る to apply only to human running. 車が走る (the car moves along the road), 電車が走る (the train is running), バスが走る (the bus is in service on this route). When checking whether a bus or train line is operating: このバスは今走っていますか？ (Is this bus running now?)
競走 (kyousou, race) vs 競争 (kyousou, competition): identical pronunciation, different kanji. 競走 contains 走 (run) and refers specifically to a speed race: 百メートル競走 (the 100-metre race). 競争 contains 争 (contend) and means competition in a broader sense: 価格競争 (price competition), 競争が激しい (competition is fierce). In everyday speech you rely on context; in writing the kanji makes the distinction clear.
師走 (shiwasu, December) is an irregular reading of 走 that appears in calendars and seasonal writing. A common explanation connects 師 (teacher/priest) and 走 (run), evoking the year-end bustle, but the exact origin is debated. It does not follow standard on’yomi or kun’yomi.
Summary
走 means to run, used for people and vehicles alike. Key vocabulary: 走る (hashiru, run), 競走 (kyousou, race), and the homophone 競争 (kyousou, competition) that requires the kanji to distinguish.