魚 — Kanji Reference
魚 (fish): 11 strokes, JLPT N5. On: ギョ. Kun: さかな、うお.
魚
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Meaning | fish |
| Strokes | 11 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) | ギョ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) | さかな、うお |
| Radical | 魚 (uo-hen) [U+9B5A] |
Stroke Order
The kanji 魚 follows the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The top left "ノ" (slant).
- Stroke 2-4: The top "口" shape (horizontal, then vertical/hook, then closing horizontal).
- Stroke 5-7: The three horizontal lines in the middle.
- Stroke 8-11: The four dots at the bottom (representing the tail), written from left to right.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 魚 is a pictograph. The top part represents the head, the middle horizontal lines represent the body, and the four dots at the bottom (often called renga or "fire" radical when used elsewhere, but here representing a tail) depict the fish's tail fin. It is its own radical, known as uo-hen (魚偏).
Mnemonic
Imagine the kanji is a fish hanging on a hook. The top "口" is the fish's mouth gasping for air, the middle lines are its ribs, and the four dots at the bottom are its tail wiggling back and forth in the water.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ギョ (Gyo)
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 魚類 | ぎょるい | gyorui | fish (as a biological class) |
| 金魚 | きんぎょ | kingyo | goldfish |
| 魚市場 | ぎょいちば | gyoichiba | fish market |
| 熱帯魚 | ねったいぎょ | nettaigyo | tropical fish |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
さかな (Sakana)
Used for fish as food or the general concept of fish.
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 焼き魚 | やきざかな | yakizakana | grilled fish |
| 魚屋 | さかなや | sakanaya | fishmonger |
うお (Uo)
A slightly more literary or archaic term for fish, often used in compound names.
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 魚座 | うおざ | uoza | Pisces (astrology) |
| 目刺し | めざし | mezashi | dried sardines |
JLPT N5 Words Using 魚
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 魚 | さかな | sakana | fish | N5 |
| 金魚 | きんぎょ | kingyo | goldfish | N4 |
| 焼き魚 | やきざかな | yakizakana | grilled fish | N4 |
| 魚屋 | さかなや | sakanaya | fish shop | N4 |
| 魚類 | ぎょるい | gyorui | fish (species) | N3 |
| 魚市場 | うおいちば | uoichiba | fish market | N3 |
| 鮮魚 | せんぎょ | sengyo | fresh fish | N2 |
| 釣魚 | ちょうぎょ | chougyo | angling/fishing | N2 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 魚を食べるのが好きです。 | さかなをたべるのがすきです。 | Sakana o taberu no ga suki desu. | I like eating fish. |
| 池に金魚がいます。 | いけにきんぎょがいます。 | Ike ni kingyo ga imasu. | There are goldfish in the pond. |
| 魚市場は朝早くから賑やかです。 | うおいちばはあさはやくからにぎやかです。 | Uoichiba wa asa hayaku kara nigiyaka desu. | The fish market is lively from early morning. |
| 彼は魚釣りが趣味です。 | かれはさかなつりがしゅみです。 | Kare wa sakanatsuri ga shumi desu. | His hobby is fishing. |
| 焼き魚を定食で頼みました。 | やきざかなをていしょくでたのみました。 | Yakizakana o teishoku de tanomimashita. | I ordered grilled fish as a set meal. |
| 魚座の運勢はどうですか。 | うおざのうんせいはどうですか。 | Uoza no unsei wa dou desu ka. | How is the horoscope for Pisces? |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | How to distinguish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 魚 | さかな | Fish | Has four dots at the bottom (tail). |
| 鳥 | とり | Bird | Has a horizontal line inside the box (eye) and a different bottom stroke. |
| 亀 | かめ | Turtle | Much more complex; represents the shell and limbs. |
Usage Frequency Note
魚 is a high-frequency kanji. It is taught in the first grade of elementary school in Japan. It is used daily in menus, grocery stores, and casual conversation. While the on-reading "gyo" is common in academic or compound contexts (like gyorui), "sakana" is the word you will use in 99% of daily social interactions.