JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
語 means language, story. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 14 strokes, read かたる or ご. It combines 言 (say, word), which carries the meaning, with 吾, which is there for its sound ご. It appears in 英語 (English) and 敬語 (honorific language (lit. / respect language)).
語 is written in 14 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.
語 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 英語 | えいご | English |
| 敬語 | けいご | honorific language (lit. / respect language) |
| 熟語 | じゅくご | idiom / kanji compound |
吾 tends to carry the sound ご. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 吾 | ご | I, my |
| 語 | ご | word, speech |
| 悟 | ご | enlightenment, perceive |
| 梧 | ご | Chinese parasol tree, phoenix tree |
These use 言 or 吾 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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