地 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N4)
What it means
At its core, 地 is about the ground beneath your feet and the land around you — and, by extension, a place or region. You'll see it in big-picture words like 地球 (the Earth) and 地震 (earthquake), in down-to-earth words like 地面 (the ground), and in practical, everyday vocabulary like 地図 (map) and 地下 (underground). The payoff is reliable: whenever you spot 地, think "earth, land, or place" and you'll usually be right.
What makes 地 unusual for an N4 kanji is that it almost never appears on its own with hiragana endings. It lives inside compounds — which is exactly why its two on'yomi readings matter so much.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | チ | 地図 (map), 地下 (underground), 地球 (the Earth) |
| on'yomi | ジ | 地震 (earthquake), 地面 (the ground), 地味 (plain, subdued) |
| kun'yomi | — | (no common kun'yomi) |
Here's the honest truth: there is no easy rule for choosing チ vs ジ. Both are on'yomi, both show up in two-kanji compounds, and the only dependable approach is to learn the reading together with each word. The good news is that the high-frequency words are few, so a little memorization goes a long way. Group them as you study — 地図・地下・地球 are all チ, while 地震・地面・地味 are all ジ — and the split becomes much easier to keep straight.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 6. Write the 土 (earth) radical on the left first — horizontal, horizontal, vertical — then add the curving right-hand part (the 也 component).
- Radical: the radical is 土 (earth), sitting on the left in its squished "earth-radical" form (つちへん). This is one of those kanji where the radical does its job perfectly: 土 means "earth/soil," so a kanji built on it meaning "ground/land" is easy to remember.
Spotting つちへん (the 土 radical) on the left of a kanji is a good general clue that the kanji relates to earth, ground, or land.
Common words using 地
Watch the reading split in action: 地図・地下・地球 all use チ, but 地震・地面 flip to ジ. And notice 土地 (とち) — here 地 is read チ again, and the whole word literally stacks "earth" (土) on "land" (地). There's no shortcut: these readings are learned, not derived.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは旅行の前に地図を買いました。
ヤッタンは りょこうの まえに ちずを かいました。
Yattan bought a map before the trip.
地図 — here 地 takes the on'yomi チ.
昨日の夜、大きい地震があってモチはびっくりした。
きのうの よる、おおきい じしんが あって モチは びっくりした。
There was a big earthquake last night, and Mochi was startled.
地震 — here 地 takes the on'yomi ジ. Same kanji, different reading from 地図.
先生は「この駅の地下にコンビニがありますよ」と教えてくれた。
せんせいは「この えきの ちかに コンビニが ありますよ」と おしえてくれた。
Sensei told us, There's a convenience store underground at this station.
地下 — back to the チ reading. Compare 地下 (チ) with 地面 (ジ) to feel the split.
Quick recap
- 地 = ground / earth / land / place; 6 strokes; built on the 土 (earth) radical.
- No common kun'yomi — learn the on'yomi per word.
- チ: 地図, 地下, 地球, 土地. ジ: 地震, 地面, 地味.
- There's no easy rule for チ vs ジ — memorize the reading with each word.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 地 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Why does 地 sometimes read チ and sometimes ジ?
Both are on'yomi (Chinese-derived readings) that 地 carries, and there's no reliable rule to predict which one a word uses. The best approach is to learn the reading together with each word: 地図・地下・地球 are チ, while 地震・地面・地味 are ジ.
Does 地 have a kun'yomi?
Not a common one. Unlike many kanji, 地 almost always appears inside compounds with an on'yomi (チ or ジ), so for N4 you can focus on learning those two readings word by word.
How many strokes does 地 have, and what's its radical?
地 has 6 strokes. Its radical is 土 (earth), written on the left in the つちへん form — a perfect hint, since 地 means ground, land, or place.
What's the difference between 地 and 土?
土 (つち) means soil or earth as a material and is the radical inside 地. 地 means the ground, land, or a place more broadly. They combine in 土地 (とち), 'a plot of land'.