五
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
five |
| Strokes |
4 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
ゴ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
いつ、いつ-つ |
| Radical |
二 (ni - two) |
Stroke Order
The stroke order for 五 follows standard Japanese calligraphy rules: horizontal strokes are written before vertical strokes, and top-to-bottom, left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: A horizontal line at the top, written from left to right.
- Stroke 2: A vertical line starting from the center of the first stroke, moving downward, then hooking slightly to the left.
- Stroke 3: A horizontal line starting from the top of the vertical stroke, moving right, then turning downward at a 90-degree angle.
- Stroke 4: A horizontal line at the bottom, closing the shape, written from left to right.
Radical Analysis
The radical is 二 (ni), which means "two." Historically, the character 五 represents the intersection of heaven (top horizontal) and earth (bottom horizontal) with the forces of the five elements (represented by the crossing lines). It is a simple pictograph that evolved into its current form to represent the number five.
Mnemonic
Imagine a five-pointed star. If you look closely at the kanji, the top and bottom lines represent the top and bottom of a box, while the middle "cross" represents the five fingers of a hand held up to count to five. Alternatively, think of it as a "five-story building" where the top and bottom lines are the roof and the foundation.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ゴ (go)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 五月 |
ごがつ |
go-gatsu |
May |
| 五分 |
ごふん |
go-fun |
Five minutes |
| 五回 |
ごかい |
go-kai |
Five times |
| 五人 |
ごにん |
go-nin |
Five people |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
いつ (itsu) / いつ-つ (itsu-tsu)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 五つ |
いつつ |
itsutsu |
Five (general counter) |
| 五日 |
いつか |
itsuka |
Fifth day of the month |
JLPT N5 Words Using 五
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 五 |
ご |
go |
Five |
N5 |
| 五つ |
いつつ |
itsutsu |
Five things |
N5 |
| 五日 |
いつか |
itsuka |
5th day |
N5 |
| 五月 |
ごがつ |
go-gatsu |
May |
N5 |
| 五人 |
ごにん |
go-nin |
Five people |
N5 |
| 五百 |
ごひゃく |
go-hyaku |
Five hundred |
N5 |
| 五千 |
ごせん |
go-sen |
Five thousand |
N5 |
| 五万 |
ごまん |
go-man |
Fifty thousand |
N5 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 私は五人兄弟です。 |
わたしはごにんきょうだいです。 |
Watashi wa go-nin kyōdai desu. |
I have five siblings. |
| 五月はとても暖かいです。 |
ごがつはとてもあたたかいです。 |
Go-gatsu wa totemo atatakai desu. |
May is very warm. |
| りんごを五つ買いました。 |
りんごをいつつかいました。 |
Ringo o itsutsu kaimashita. |
I bought five apples. |
| 会議は五時に終わります。 |
かいぎはごじにおわります。 |
Kaigi wa go-ji ni owarimasu. |
The meeting ends at five o'clock. |
| 今日は五日です。 |
きょうはいつかです。 |
Kyō wa itsuka desu. |
Today is the 5th. |
| 五百円を払いました。 |
ごひゃくえんをはらいました。 |
Go-hyaku-en o haraimashita. |
I paid 500 yen. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 五 |
ご |
Five |
Has a "hook" at the end of the vertical stroke. |
| 互 |
ご |
Mutual |
The top and bottom strokes are different; it looks like two interlocking shapes. |
- 五 (Five): Used for counting and numbers.
- 互 (Mutual): Used in words like 互いに (tagai ni - mutually/each other). Note the distinct "interlocking" structure.
Usage Frequency Note
五 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It is used daily in dates, time, counting, and currency. It appears with extremely high frequency in both formal written documents and casual speech. As an N5-level kanji, it is one of the first characters a learner will encounter and master.