音
音 means ‘sound’ or ‘noise.’ It places 立 (stand) above 日 (sun/day), evoking the idea of a voice or sound that stands up and projects outward from its source.
Reading
On’yomi:
オン (ON)、
イン (IN)
Kun’yomi:
おと (oto)、
ね (ne)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 音 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | sound, noise |
| Stroke Count | 9 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
How to Understand This Kanji
音 (おと) refers to general sounds and noises, while the reading ね is used in musical contexts for individual tones or pitches. The on’yomi オン appears in many compound words related to music, pronunciation, and language.
Common Words
-
音楽
（おんがく）
— music -
発音
（はつおん）
— pronunciation -
音
（おと）
— sound, noise -
音声
（おんせい）
— voice, audio -
騒音
（そうおん）
— noise, din -
音読み
（おんよみ）
— on’yomi (Chinese-derived reading)
Example Sentences
-
外からうるさい音が聞こえます。
そとからうるさいおとがきこえます。
I can hear a loud noise from outside.
-
音楽を聴くのが好きです。
おんがくをきくのがすきです。
I like listening to music.
-
日本語の発音を練習しています。
にほんごのはつおんをれんしゅうしています。
I am practicing Japanese pronunciation.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
音 is important for both music vocabulary and understanding Japanese pronunciation. Words like 発音 (pronunciation) and 音楽 (music) use this kanji daily. On’yomi (音読み) literally means reading with the 音 sound.
Summary
音 means ‘sound’ and is central to music and pronunciation vocabulary, appearing in very common words like 音楽 and 発音.
| Kanji | 音 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | sound, noise |
| On’yomi | オン、イン (ON, IN) |
| Kun’yomi | おと、ね (oto, ne) |
| Strokes | 9 |
| JLPT | N5 |