市
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
city, market |
| Strokes |
5 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
シ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
いち |
| Radical |
巾 (はば・きん - cloth/towel) [U+5E05] |
Stroke Order
The stroke order for 市 follows the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The top horizontal stroke (dot).
- Stroke 2: The vertical line starting from the top, curving slightly left.
- Stroke 3: The left vertical wall of the "cloth" radical.
- Stroke 4: The horizontal line that turns downward to form the right side of the radical.
- Stroke 5: The vertical line that bisects the radical.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 市 is composed of the radical 巾 (cloth/towel) and a top component that represents a "lid" or "gathering place." Historically, the top part represented a flag or a banner hanging in a marketplace to signal that trading was open. The radical 巾 (cloth) suggests the stalls or fabric goods sold at these ancient markets. Over time, the meaning evolved from a physical "market" to the administrative "city" where such markets were held.
Mnemonic
Imagine a city skyline. The top stroke is a flag flying high on a pole (the vertical line). Below, the 巾 radical looks like a tent or a stall.
Mnemonic: "In the city (市), there is a flag (top) flying over every market stall (bottom)."
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
シ (shi)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 市長 |
しちょう |
shichō |
mayor |
| 市民 |
しみん |
shimin |
citizen |
| 都市 |
とし |
toshi |
city/urban |
| 市役所 |
しやくしょ |
shiyakusho |
city hall |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
いち (ichi)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 市場 |
いちば |
ichiba |
marketplace |
| 朝市 |
あさいち |
asaichi |
morning market |
JLPT N5 Words Using 市
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 市 |
し |
shi |
city |
N5 |
| 市長 |
しちょう |
shichō |
mayor |
N3 |
| 市民 |
しみん |
shimin |
citizen |
N3 |
| 都市 |
とし |
toshi |
city |
N3 |
| 市役所 |
しやくしょ |
shiyakusho |
city hall |
N4 |
| 市場 |
いちば |
ichiba |
market |
N3 |
| 市内 |
しない |
shinai |
within the city |
N3 |
| 市立 |
しりつ |
shiritsu |
municipal |
N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 私は市に住んでいます。 |
わたしはしにすんでいます。 |
Watashi wa shi ni sunde imasu. |
I live in the city. |
| 市役所はどこですか。 |
しやくしょはどこですか。 |
Shiyakusho wa doko desu ka. |
Where is the city hall? |
| 朝市で野菜を買いました。 |
あさいちでやさいをかいました。 |
Asaichi de yasai o kaimashita. |
I bought vegetables at the morning market. |
| 彼は市長と話しました。 |
かれはしちょうとはなしました。 |
Kare wa shichō to hanashimashita. |
He spoke with the mayor. |
| 市民は公園に集まりました。 |
しみんはこうえんにあつまりました。 |
Shimin wa kōen ni atsumarimashita. |
The citizens gathered at the park. |
| この都市はとても大きいです。 |
このとしはとてもおおきいです。 |
Kono toshi wa totemo ōkii desu. |
This city is very big. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 市 |
し |
City |
Has a dot on top; looks like a flag over a stall. |
| 姉 |
あね |
Older sister |
Has the "woman" (女) radical on the right. |
| 沛 |
はい |
Heavy rain |
Has the water (氵) radical on the left. |
Usage Frequency Note
市 is a high-frequency kanji. It is essential for daily life in Japan, appearing on almost all official documents, maps, and signage (e.g., shiyakusho - city hall). It is used in both formal and informal contexts. Because it is a core kanji for administrative geography, learners will encounter it immediately upon arriving in Japan or starting intermediate studies.