好
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
like, fond of |
| Strokes |
6 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
コウ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
す-く、この-む、よ-い |
| Radical |
女 (Onna - Woman) [U+5973] |
Stroke Order
The kanji 好 follows standard Japanese calligraphy rules, moving from top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The top-left downward curve (part of the 女 radical).
- Stroke 2: The diagonal stroke moving down-right.
- Stroke 3: The horizontal bar connecting the two previous strokes.
- Stroke 4: The top dot of the 子 component.
- Stroke 5: The horizontal stroke of the 子 component.
- Stroke 6: The final curved stroke of the 子 component.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 好 is a phono-semantic compound.
- Radical: 女 (Woman).
- Component: 子 (Child).
- Meaning: The character depicts a woman (女) holding a child (子). In ancient Chinese culture, a mother holding her child was considered the ultimate image of "goodness" and something to be "fond of" or "liked."
Mnemonic
Imagine a woman (女) holding her child (子). Because she loves her child so much, she is fond of (好) everything about them. Whenever you see this kanji, think: "A mother's love for her child is the best thing to like."
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
コウ (Kō)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 好奇心 |
こうきしん |
kōkishin |
curiosity |
| 好意 |
こうい |
kōi |
goodwill/favor |
| 好評 |
こうひょう |
kōhyō |
popular/well-received |
| 好調 |
こうちょう |
kōchō |
in good form/favorable |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
す-く (Su-ku)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 好き |
すき |
suki |
likeable/fond of |
| 大好き |
だいすき |
daisuki |
love/like very much |
この-む (Kono-mu)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 好む |
このむ |
konomu |
to prefer/to like |
| 好み |
このみ |
konomi |
taste/preference |
よ-い (Yo-i)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 好い |
よい |
yoi |
good/nice |
JLPT N5 Words Using 好
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 好き |
すき |
suki |
like |
N5 |
| 大好き |
だいすき |
daisuki |
love |
N5 |
| 好物 |
こうぶつ |
kōbutsu |
favorite food |
N4 |
| 好意 |
こうい |
kōi |
goodwill |
N3 |
| 好奇心 |
こうきしん |
kōkishin |
curiosity |
N3 |
| 好む |
このむ |
konomu |
to prefer |
N3 |
| 好評 |
こうひょう |
kōhyō |
popular |
N3 |
| 好調 |
こうちょう |
kōchō |
in good shape |
N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 私は猫が好きです。 |
わたしはねこがすきです。 |
Watashi wa neko ga suki desu. |
I like cats. |
| 彼は読書を好む。 |
かれはどくしょをこのむ。 |
Kare wa dokusho o konomu. |
He prefers reading. |
| それは好い考えですね。 |
それはよいかんがえですね。 |
Sore wa yoi kangae desu ne. |
That is a good idea. |
| 彼は好奇心が強い。 |
かれはこうきしんがつよい。 |
Kare wa kōkishin ga tsuyoi. |
He has strong curiosity. |
| 彼女は好物の寿司を食べた。 |
かのじょはこうぶつのすしをたべた。 |
Kanojo wa kōbutsu no sushi o tabeta. |
She ate her favorite food, sushi. |
| 試合は好調に進んでいる。 |
しあいはこうちょうにすすんでいる。 |
Shiai wa kōchō ni susunde iru. |
The match is progressing favorably. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 好 |
す-く |
Like |
Contains 女 (woman) + 子 (child). |
| 始 |
はじ-める |
Begin |
Contains 女 (woman) + 台 (platform). |
- Note: While they share the 女 radical, 好 represents the emotional state of "liking," while 始 represents the start of an action.
Usage Frequency Note
好 is an extremely high-frequency kanji. It is one of the first characters taught to beginners because of the word suki (好き). It appears daily in casual conversation, news, and formal writing. It is essential for expressing personal preferences and describing positive trends or qualities.