念 — “thought / sense” in Japanese

Grade 4ねん

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

“thought / sense” in Japanese is 念, read nen (ねん). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 記念 (commemoration).

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What does 念 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	念
Meaning	thought / sense
Readings	ねん
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	記念 (commemoration)

How to read 念

念 is read nen (ねん) depending on the word.

Words with 念

記念きねん
天然記念物てんねんきねんぶつ
残念
懸念
丹念
記念碑

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Kanji read the same way as 念

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28