金
金 means ‘gold,’ ‘metal,’ or ‘money.’ It also represents Friday (金曜日). The kanji is said to depict metal ore in the ground beneath a roof, suggesting the smelting of precious metal.
Reading
On’yomi: キン (kin), コン (kon)
Kun’yomi: かね (kane), かな- (kana-)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 金 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | gold, money, metal |
| Stroke Count | 8 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
How to Understand This Kanji
金 is versatile: it means gold as a material (金メダル), money in general (お金), and Friday (金曜日). The on’yomi キン is used in formal compounds, while かね is casual and everyday. コン appears in a few set phrases.
Common Words
- お金（おかね / okane） — money
- 金曜日（きんようび / kin’yōbi） — Friday
- 料金（りょうきん / ryōkin） — fee, charge, fare
- 現金（げんきん / genkin） — cash
- 金メダル（きんメダル / kin medaru） — gold medal
- 金色（きんいろ / kiniro） — gold color, golden
Example Sentences
-
財布にお金がありません。
さいふにおかねがありません。 / Saifu ni okane ga arimasen.
I don’t have money in my wallet.
-
金曜日に友達と映画を見ます。
きんようびにともだちとえいがをみます。 / Kin’yōbi ni tomodachi to eiga o mimasu.
I will watch a movie with my friend on Friday.
-
料金はいくらですか？
りょうきんはいくらですか？ / Ryōkin wa ikura desu ka?
How much is the fee?
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
お金 (money) is one of the most immediately useful words in Japanese. 金 is also one of the five elements (五行), making it part of the system for remembering the days of the week: 月火水木金土日.
Summary
金 means ‘gold’ and ‘money’ and is one of the most frequently used kanji in everyday life, also representing Friday.