件 — “matter / case” in Japanese

Grade 5けん

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

“matter / case” in Japanese is 件, read ken (けん). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 事件 (incident).

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What does 件 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	件
Meaning	matter / case
Readings	けん
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	事件 (incident)

How to read 件

件 is read ken (けん) depending on the word.

Words with 件

条件
事件

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Kanji read the same way as 件

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28