村 – Meaning, Reading & Usage

What does 村 mean in Japanese?

村 means “village” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 村 (village), 村人 (villager), and 村長 (village mayor).

For learners, the key is to study 村 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.

Reading

On’yomi: ソン (son)

Kun’yomi: むら (mura)

Basic Information

Kanji
Meaning village
Stroke Count 7
JLPT Level N5

How to Understand This Kanji

村 is not limited to one English translation. In 村 (むら), it means village; in 村人 (むらびと), it points to villager; and in 村長 (そんちょう), it is used for village mayor. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.

Common Words

  • (むら / mura) — village
  • 村人(むらびと / murabito) — villager
  • 村長(そんちょう / sonchō) — village mayor
  • 農村(のうそん / nōson) — farming village
  • 山村(さんそん / sanson) — mountain village
  • 村役場(むらやくば / murayakuba) — village office

Example Sentences

  • 小さな村に住んでいます。

    ちいさなむらにすんでいます。 / Chiisana mura ni sunde imasu.

    I live in a small village.

  • 村人が祭りの準備をしています。

    むらびとがまつりのじゅんびをしています。 / Murabito ga matsuri no junbi o shite imasu.

    The villagers are preparing for the festival.

  • 村長が話をしました。

    そんちょうがはなしをしました。 / Sonchō ga hanashi o shimashita.

    The village head gave a talk.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

Start with 村 (むら / mura) because it keeps the core meaning of 村 clear. Then add 村人 and 村長 to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 村 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.

Summary

村 means “village” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 村, 村人, and 村長.