力 — “power / strength” in Japanese

Grade 1りょく, りき, ちから

Radical ⼒ · radical 19 The building block this kanji is filed under

“power / strength” in Japanese is 力, read ryoku, riki, chikara (りょく, りき, ちから). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 力持ち (strong person).

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What does 力 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	力
Meaning	power / strength
Readings	りょく, りき, ちから
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	力持ち (strong person)

How to read 力

力 is read ryoku (りょく) or riki (りき) or chikara (ちから) depending on the word.

Words with 力

努力どりょく
協力きょうりょく
全力ぜんりょく
実力じつりょく
体力たいりょく
磁力じりょく
集中力しゅうちゅうりょく
組織力そしきりょく
底力
勢力

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Kanji read the same way as 力

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

緑りょく green

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28