What does 品 mean in Japanese?
品 means goods, an article, or quality. It is the kanji of shopping and products: 品物 (shinamono, goods), 食品 (shokuhin, food products), and 商品 (shouhin, merchandise) label the things stores sell.
The kun’yomi しな appears in 品物 and in 品切れ (shinagire, sold out). The on’yomi ヒン builds the product words and 作品 (sakuhin, a creative work). The character stacks three 口 shapes, often explained as a pile of items, which is an easy picture for ‘goods’.
Reading
On’yomi: ヒン (hin)
Kun’yomi: しな (shina)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 品 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | goods, article, quality |
| Stroke Count | 9 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
品物 (shinamono) is the everyday word for goods or an item in a shop. 商品 (shouhin) is merchandise from the seller’s point of view, the standard word in retail and online stores. 食品 (shokuhin) is food as a product category: the supermarket’s 食品売り場 (food section). 作品 (sakuhin) is a creative work: a painting, novel, or film. 部品 (buhin) is a mechanical part. 品質 (hinshitsu) is product quality, the sense of 品 as ‘grade’. The same idea appears in 上品 (jouhin, elegant, refined) and 下品 (gehin, vulgar): quality of manner rather than of product.
Common Words
- 品物（しなもの / shinamono） — goods, article, item
- 食品（しょくひん / shokuhin） — food products, groceries
- 作品（さくひん / sakuhin） — a work (of art, writing, film)
- 商品（しょうひん / shouhin） — merchandise, product
- 部品（ぶひん / buhin） — parts, components
- 品質（ひんしつ / hinshitsu） — (product) quality
Example Sentences
-
この店には品物がたくさんあります。
このみせにはしなものがたくさんあります。 / Kono mise ni wa shinamono ga takusan arimasu.
This store has a lot of goods.
-
スーパーで食品を買いました。
すーぱーでしょくひんをかいました。 / Suupaa de shokuhin o kaimashita.
I bought groceries at the supermarket.
-
美術館で有名な作品を見ました。
びじゅつかんでゆうめいなさくひんをみました。 / Bijutsukan de yuumei na sakuhin o mimashita.
I saw famous works at the art museum.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Sort the store words by viewpoint: 品物 is what a shopper calls the items, 商品 is what the store calls them, and 食品 is the food category. All three surround you in any supermarket.
品切れ (shinagire, sold out) is one of the most practical signs you can learn to read: 人気の品はすぐ品切れになる (popular items sell out fast).
For the quality sense, remember 品質 (hinshitsu, product quality) and the manner pair 上品 / 下品 (refined / vulgar). They show that 品 grades people and behavior as well as products, a nuance that makes this kanji richer than just ‘goods’.
Summary
品 means goods and quality: 品物 and 商品 for store items, 食品 for food products, 作品 for creative works, and 品質 for quality. The kun’yomi しな appears in 品物 and 品切れ (sold out).