What does 地 mean in Japanese?
地 means “ground” or “land.” You will meet it early in 地図 (chizu, map) and 地下鉄 (chikatetsu, subway).
It also appears in 地震 (jishin), the word for an earthquake, which is important to know in Japan.
Reading
On’yomi: チ (chi), ジ (ji)
Kun’yomi: —
Basic Information
| Kanji | 地 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | ground, land, area |
| Stroke Count | 6 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
地 is mostly used inside compound words rather than on its own. In 地下 and 地下鉄 it means the ground under your feet, while in 地方 and 土地 it means land or an area. For soil or dirt itself, Japanese uses 土 (tsuchi).
Common Words
- 地図（ちず / chizu） — map
- 地下鉄（ちかてつ / chikatetsu） — subway, underground railway
- 地震（じしん / jishin） — earthquake
- 地下（ちか / chika） — underground, basement
- 地方（ちほう / chihou） — region, the regions outside big cities
- 土地（とち / tochi） — land, a plot of land
Example Sentences
-
地下鉄で会社に行きます。
ちかてつでかいしゃにいきます。 / Chikatetsu de kaisha ni ikimasu.
I go to work by subway.
-
地図を見て、駅まで歩きました。
ちずをみて、えきまであるきました。 / Chizu o mite, eki made arukimashita.
I checked the map and walked to the station.
-
夜中に地震があって、目が覚めました。
よなかにじしんがあって、めがさめました。 / Yonaka ni jishin ga atte, me ga samemashita.
An earthquake in the middle of the night woke me up.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
地 has no common kun’yomi, so learn its two on’yomi through examples: チ in 地図 and 地下鉄, and ジ in 地震. 地 has the earth radical 土 on the left. Do not confuse 地 with 池 (pond), which has the water radical 氵 instead.
Summary
Read 地 as チ in 地図 and 地下鉄 and as ジ in 地震, and use 土 when you mean soil itself.
Want to study more JLPT N4 kanji by theme? See our JLPT N4 Kanji Study List.