根 — “root / origin” in Japanese

Grade 3こん, ね

Radical ⽊ · radical 75 The building block this kanji is filed under

“root / origin” in Japanese is 根, read kon, ne (こん, ね). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 根本 (fundamental).

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What does 根 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	根
Meaning	root / origin
Readings	こん, ね
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	根本 (fundamental)

How to read 根

根 is read kon (こん) or ne (ね) depending on the word.

Words with 根

屋根やね
根本的こんぽんてき
羽根
根本
根拠
垣根
瓦屋根

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Kanji read the same way as 根

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28