円
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
yen, circle |
| Strokes |
4 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
エン |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
まる |
| Radical |
冂 (maki-gamae / "box" or "enclosure" - U+5182) |
Stroke Order
The kanji 円 follows standard Japanese stroke order rules: top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The vertical line on the left.
- Stroke 2: The top horizontal line, turning down to form the corner (the "enclosure").
- Stroke 3: The horizontal line inside, starting from the left vertical stroke.
- Stroke 4: The final horizontal line at the bottom, closing the shape.
Radical Analysis
The radical is 冂 (maki-gamae), which represents an enclosure or a container. Originally, this kanji depicted a round object. Over time, the shape evolved from a circle to the current square-like form. The interior lines represent the structure within the circle, which eventually became associated with the shape of coins (round with a hole) and the concept of "roundness" or "perfection."
Mnemonic
Imagine a yen coin (円). It is perfectly round (まる). If you look closely at the kanji, the top part is the "roof" of a bank, and the two horizontal lines inside are the stacks of coins kept safe inside the vault.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
エン (EN)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 円高 |
えんだか |
endaka |
strong yen |
| 円安 |
えんやす |
enyasu |
weak yen |
| 百円 |
ひゃくえん |
hyakuen |
100 yen |
| 円形 |
えんけい |
enkei |
circular shape |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
まる (MARU)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 円い |
まるい |
marui |
round |
| 円くする |
まるくする |
maruku suru |
to make round |
JLPT N5 Words Using 円
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 一円 |
いちえん |
ichien |
1 yen |
N5 |
| 十円 |
じゅうえん |
juuen |
10 yen |
N5 |
| 五十円 |
ごじゅうえん |
gojuuen |
50 yen |
N5 |
| 百円 |
ひゃくえん |
hyakuen |
100 yen |
N5 |
| 五百円 |
ごひゃくえん |
gohyakuen |
500 yen |
N5 |
| 千円 |
せんえん |
senen |
1,000 yen |
N5 |
| 五千円 |
ごせんえん |
gosenen |
5,000 yen |
N5 |
| 一万円 |
いちまんえん |
ichimanen |
10,000 yen |
N5 |
| 円い |
まるい |
marui |
round |
N5 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| これは何円ですか。 |
これはなんえんですか。 |
Kore wa nan-en desu ka. |
How much is this? |
| このボールは円いです。 |
このボールはまるいです。 |
Kono booru wa marui desu. |
This ball is round. |
| 私は千円持っています。 |
わたしはせんえんもっています。 |
Watashi wa sen-en motte imasu. |
I have 1,000 yen. |
| 円高で輸入品が安くなりました。 |
えんだかでゆにゅうひんがやすくなりました。 |
Endaka de yunyuuhin ga yasuku narimashita. |
Due to the strong yen, imports have become cheaper. |
| 彼は紙を円形に切った。 |
かれはかみをえんけいにきった。 |
Kare wa kami o enkei ni kitta. |
He cut the paper into a circle. |
| 昼食代は五百円でした。 |
ちゅうしょくだいはごひゃくえんでした。 |
Chuushokudai wa gohyakuen deshita. |
Lunch cost 500 yen. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 円 |
エン / まる |
Yen / Circle |
Has a distinct "lid" (top horizontal) and two lines inside. |
| 四 |
シ / よん |
Four |
The inside looks like "legs" (儿) rather than horizontal lines. |
| 日 |
ニチ / ひ |
Sun / Day |
A closed box with one horizontal line in the middle. |
Usage Frequency Note
円 is one of the most frequently used kanji in daily life. Because it is the character for the Japanese currency, it appears on every price tag, receipt, and financial document. It is essential for daily communication in Japan, whether you are shopping, traveling, or discussing the economy.