Share this link via
Or copy link
Kanji for Kind
The kanji most commonly used for "Kind" are 優、善、厚.
優
Kanji that mean Kind
-
優
kind
Also associated with outstanding, skilled.
Onyomi: u, yuu Kunyomi: masa.ru, sugu.reru, yasa.shii 17 strokes Jōyō
-
善
good, kind
Also associated with excellent.
Onyomi: zen Kunyomi: ii, yo.ku, yoi, yoshi.tosuru 12 strokes Jōyō
-
厚
thick, kind
Also associated with sincere.
Onyomi: koh Kunyomi: aka, atsu.i 9 strokes Jōyō
-
篤
sincere, serious
Also associated with devoted.
Onyomi: toku Kunyomi: atsu.i 16 strokes Jōyō
-
懇
sincere, cordial
Also associated with earnest.
Onyomi: kon Kunyomi: nengoro 17 strokes Jōyō
English “kind” carries two unrelated senses, and Japanese keeps them apart. Kind meaning type or sort is 種 and 類 — together they make 種類, a sort or category. Kind meaning warm-hearted is a different set of characters entirely, and those are the ones below.
優 is the everyday one. 優しい (yasashii) is what you call a person who is gentle and considerate, and the same character means excelling — 優秀 (excellent), 優勝 (winning a championship). 善 is kindness as moral goodness: 善意 (good will), 改善 (improvement). 厚 is thickness applied to feeling, generous rather than gentle, as in 厚意 (kind regard).
篤 and 懇 are formal and warmer than they look. 篤 is earnest devotion — 篤志家 is someone who gives to good causes. 懇 is cordial attentiveness, the character in 懇切 (kind and thorough) and 懇親会, a gathering held to build goodwill.
Before you use Kind kanji
優 is the safest single character for kindness and is common in names, though it also carries "superior" and "actor". Avoid 種, 類 and 底 — they mean kind only in the sense of "a kind of thing". 善 reads as moral goodness rather than personal warmth.