木 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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木

木 means “tree” or “wood” in Japanese. Its shape represents a tree with branches above and roots below.

Reading

On’yomi: モク (moku), ボク (boku)

Kun’yomi: き (ki), こ- (ko-)

Basic Information

Kanji 木
Meaning tree, wood
Stroke Count 4
JLPT Level N5

How to Understand This Kanji

木 can refer to a living tree, wood as a material, or Thursday in 木曜日. As a radical, it appears in many kanji related to trees, wood, forests, and objects made from wood.

Common Words

  • 木（き / ki） — tree, wood
  • 木曜日（もくようび / mokuyōbi） — Thursday
  • 木材（もくざい / mokuzai） — timber, lumber
  • 植木（うえき / ueki） — garden tree, potted plant
  • 大木（たいぼく / taiboku） — large tree
  • 木の葉（このは / ko no ha） — leaf of a tree

Example Sentences

  • 公園に大きな木があります。

    こうえんにおおきなきがあります。 / Kōen ni ōkina ki ga arimasu.

    There is a large tree in the park.

  • 木曜日は授業があります。

    もくようびはじゅぎょうがあります。 / Mokuyōbi wa jugyō ga arimasu.

    I have class on Thursday.

  • この椅子は木で作られています。

    このいすはきでつくられています。 / Kono isu wa ki de tsukurarete imasu.

    This chair is made of wood.

Related Kanji

  • 山

    — Mountains and trees often appear together in nature vocabulary.

  • 本

    — 本 is visually based on 木 with an added mark at the root.

  • 花

    — Flowers grow on plants and trees, making 花 and 木 a natural pair.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

The standalone reading is き. The reading もく appears in 木曜日 and 木材. A helpful visual pattern is 木 (one tree), 林 (grove), and 森 (forest), which shows how kanji can build meaning visually.

Summary

木 means tree or wood and is both a common word and an important radical.