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Kanji Detail for 役 - "role, duty, service"

役

  • Meaning

    役 means "role, duty, service."

    1. Role - A part to play; a function.

    2. Duty - A task; a responsibility.

    3. Service - Work performed for others.

    4. Battle - A military campaign.

  • Words using 役

    • 役員 やくいん Listen director; executive; officer
    • 取締役 とりしまりやく Listen company director; board member
    • 懲役 ちょうえき Listen penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor (hard labour)
    • 三役 さんやく Listen three highest ranks (wrestling, unions, etc.); three parts; three divisions
    • 主役 しゅやく Listen leading part; leading actor; leading actress
    • 現役 げんえき Listen active duty; active service; student taking (university) entrance exams while still enrolled in school
    • 役所 やくしょ Listen government office; public office
    • 相談役 そうだんやく Listen counselor; counsellor; adviser

  • Four-character idioms with 役

    • 千両役者 せんりょうやくしゃ Listen star (actor); prima donna; leading figure

  • Tattoo check: 役

    • Verified meaning: role, duty, service
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read えき, えん, おおせ, まもり)

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 役

    Given names 役(まもる)Listen

    Surnames 役(えき)Listen 役(えん)Listen 役(おおせ)Listen 役(まもり)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    duty; war; campaign; drafted labor; office; service; role

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    service; a servant, laborer; to serve

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    forced labor; corvée; obligatory task; military service; to use as servant; to enserf; servant (old); war; campaign; battle

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    servant, laborer; service; to serve

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    To garrison the border. Distant garrison duty is 遠役. | Military affairs are called 役. The Zuo Zhuan's "Battle of Bi" and "Battle of Chengpu" are examples. | To employ. (Mencius) "When the Way prevails, lesser virtue serves greater virtue; lesser worthiness serves greater worthiness." Hence, servants are called 厮役.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    eki(エキ) エキ

    yaku(ヤク) ヤク

  • Kunyomi

    tip
    none

  • Strokes

    tip

    7 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    彳 (gyonimben)

  • Related Keywords

    role duty service battle obligation responsibility use war function assignment campaign combat conflict employment job military mission occupation performance position purpose

Sentences including 役

  • I play an important part.

  • This screwdriver is too small to be any use.

  • This book may well be useful to you.

  • What good will that do?

  • This dictionary is of great use to me.

  • What is the use of worrying?

  • This tool is good for nothing.

  • I am entirely at your service.

  • I'd be happy to help you if you're having trouble.

  • Horses are useful animals.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 彳 (gyonimben)

See all kanji with this radical →

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