What does 事 mean in Japanese?
事 means thing, matter, or affair, and it appears in some of the most common words in Japanese, such as 仕事 (shigoto, work) and 食事 (shokuji, meal).
Read it as ジ (ji) in most compounds and as こと (koto) when it stands alone, as in 大事な事 (an important matter). In grammar patterns, こと is usually written in hiragana.
Reading
On’yomi: ジ (ji), ズ (zu)
Kun’yomi: こと (koto)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 事 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | thing, matter, affair |
| Stroke Count | 8 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
事 points to happenings and matters, not objects you can touch; for a physical thing Japanese uses 物 (もの). As こと it can stand for an idea, a fact, or an experience. In compounds, 事 often marks events and duties: 火事 is a fire, 事故 is an accident, and 大事 means important.
Common Words
- 仕事（しごと / shigoto） — work, job
- 食事（しょくじ / shokuji） — meal
- 大事（だいじ / daiji） — important, precious
- 用事（ようじ / youji） — errand, something to do
- 火事（かじ / kaji） — fire, uncontrolled fire
- 事故（じこ / jiko） — accident
Example Sentences
-
毎晩、家族と食事をします。
まいばん、かぞくとしょくじをします。 / Maiban, kazoku to shokuji o shimasu.
I eat dinner with my family every night.
-
用事があるので、先に帰ります。
ようじがあるので、さきにかえります。 / Youji ga aru node, saki ni kaerimasu.
I have something to take care of, so I will head home first.
-
駅の近くで事故がありました。
えきのちかくでじこがありました。 / Eki no chikaku de jiko ga arimashita.
There was an accident near the station.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Learn 仕事, 食事, and 大事 first; they are frequent at N4. Keep こと (事, matters) and もの (物, objects) apart. 火事 (kaji) means an uncontrolled fire that causes damage, rather than fire as a substance, which is 火 (hi). In grammar such as 〜ことができる, write こと in hiragana, which is the usual modern style.
Summary
事 means thing or matter and is essential for words such as 仕事 (work), 食事 (meal), 大事 (important), and 事故 (accident).
Want to study more JLPT N4 kanji by theme? See our JLPT N4 Kanji Study List.