秋 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 秋 mean in Japanese?

秋 means autumn or fall in Japanese. It is the season of colored leaves, harvest, and comfortable weather, celebrated in phrases like 食欲の秋 (autumn, the season of appetite).

秋 has two main readings. Read it as あき (aki) when it stands alone or in words such as 秋晴れ (akibare, a clear autumn day), and as シュウ (shuu) in compounds such as 秋分 (shuubun, the autumn equinox). The character combines 禾 (grain) and 火 (fire), which is often explained through harvest-time imagery.

Reading

On’yomi: シュウ (shuu)

Kun’yomi: あき (aki)

Basic Information

Kanji 秋
Meaning autumn, fall
Stroke Count 9
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

秋 in Japan is the season of good weather, good food, and changing leaves. The reading あき covers everyday words, while シュウ appears in calendar terms such as 秋分. Japanese attaches activities to autumn with the pattern 〜の秋: 食欲の秋 (the autumn of appetite), 読書の秋 (the autumn of reading), and スポーツの秋 (the autumn of sports) all express what the comfortable season is good for.

Common Words

  • 秋（あき / aki） — autumn, fall
  • 秋晴れ（あきばれ / akibare） — clear autumn day
  • 秋風（あきかぜ / akikaze） — autumn breeze
  • 秋祭り（あきまつり / akimatsuri） — autumn festival
  • 秋分（しゅうぶん / shuubun） — autumn equinox
  • 秋空（あきぞら / akizora） — autumn sky

Example Sentences

  • 秋は紅葉がきれいです。

    あきはこうようがきれいです。 / Aki wa kouyou ga kirei desu.

    In autumn, the colored leaves are beautiful.

  • 今日は気持ちのいい秋晴れです。

    きょうはきもちのいいあきばれです。 / Kyou wa kimochi no ii akibare desu.

    Today is a pleasant, clear autumn day.

  • 秋になると涼しくなります。

    あきになるとすずしくなります。 / Aki ni naru to suzushiku narimasu.

    When autumn comes, it gets cool.

Related Kanji

  • 春

    — 春 means spring; 春 and 秋 are the two mild seasons and appear together in the word 春秋, marking the passage of years.

  • 夏

    — 夏 means summer, the season before 秋; the relief when summer heat turns to autumn coolness is a favorite Japanese small-talk topic.

  • 火

    — 火 means fire and sits on the right side of 秋 next to the grain radical 禾; harvest-time imagery is often used as a memory aid for this combination.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

The 〜の秋 pattern is a fun piece of culture: pick almost any pleasant activity and Japanese can call autumn its season. 秋晴れ (akibare) is the word for those perfect clear autumn days and works well in small talk. 秋分の日 (Autumnal Equinox Day) is a national holiday in late September, useful to know when reading calendars.

Summary

秋 means autumn, the season of harvest, colored leaves, and the playful 〜の秋 pattern that names what the season is good for.