JLPT N5 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
円 means yen, circle. It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 4 strokes, read えん. It combines 冂 (upside-down box radical (no. 13)), which carries the meaning, with 員, which is there for its sound えん. It appears in 円周 (circumference) and 楕円 (ellipse).
円 is written in 4 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
円 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 円周 | えんしゅう | circumference |
| 楕円 | だえん | ellipse |
| 円滑 | えんかつ | harmony / smoothness |
員 tends to carry the sound えん. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 員 | えん | employee, member |
| 円 | えん | circle, yen |
These use 冂 or 員 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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