長 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At first glance 長 means long — a long stick, a long road, a long time. But it carries a second, very useful meaning: the head or leader of something. The connection is intuitive: the person who has been around the longest, or who stands at the top, becomes the chief.
So you'll meet 長 in two roles. On its own, with a hiragana ending, it describes length: 長い ("long"), 長さ ("length"). Inside two-kanji compounds, it usually names the leader of an organization: 社長 ("company president"), 校長 ("school principal"), 部長 ("department head"). Whenever you see 長 at the end of a title, you can safely read it as "the chief of —."
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | なが.い | 長い (long), 長さ (length) |
| on'yomi | チョウ | 社長 (company president), 校長 (school principal), 部長 (department head), 成長 (growth) |
Here's the rule of thumb, working as usual: the kun'yomi (なが.い) shows up when 長 stands more or less alone with a hiragana ending, while the on'yomi (チョウ) appears inside two-kanji compounds. So 長い uses なが.い, but 社長 uses チョウ. With 長 there's an extra payoff — almost every compound title ending in 長 is read チョウ and means "chief of —," so once you learn the pattern you can read a whole stack of job titles at a glance.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 8, written top to bottom — the upper horizontal lines first, then the long vertical stroke down the middle, finishing with the sweeping strokes at the bottom.
- Radical: 長 is its own radical, the "long" radical (ながい). It's one of the classic standalone kanji that also serves as a radical, so you'll occasionally spot it as a component in more advanced kanji, where it keeps its "long / extended" flavor.
Recognizing 長 as a unit helps: rather than counting it as eight separate lines, see the tall central spine with branches — that single shape is the kanji.
Common words using 長
Notice the split in action: the standalone words 長い and 長さ take なが.い, while every "leader" compound (社長, 校長, 部長) flips to チョウ. The word 成長 ("growth") shows the same チョウ reading carrying the "long / extending" sense rather than "chief" — a nice reminder that both meanings live in this one kanji.
Example sentences
ヤッタンのしっぽはとても長いです。
ヤッタンの しっぽは とても ながい です。
Yattan's tail is very long.
長い — the kun'yomi なが.い reading, describing length.
モチのお父さんは会社の社長です。
モチの おとうさんは かいしゃの しゃちょう です。
Mochi's dad is the president of a company.
社長 uses the on'yomi チョウ — here 長 means 'chief / leader.'
先生は「校長先生にあいさつしましょう」と言いました。
せんせいは「こうちょう せんせいに あいさつ しましょう」と いいました。
The teacher said, 'Let's greet the principal.'
校長 (こうちょう) — another チョウ title, 'school principal.'
Quick recap
- 長 = long and leader / chief; 8 strokes; it's the "long" radical itself.
- なが.い when it stands alone (長い, 長さ); チョウ in compounds (社長, 校長, 部長, 成長).
- A title ending in 長 almost always reads チョウ and means "the head of —."
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 長 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 長 in 長い vs 社長?
In 長い it's the kun'yomi なが (長い = ながい, 'long'). In 社長 it's the on'yomi チョウ (社長 = しゃちょう, 'company president'). As a rule, compounds take the on'yomi.
Why does 長 mean both 'long' and 'leader'?
The two senses are linked: the person who has been around the longest, or who stands at the top, is the chief. So 長 stretches from 'long' (長い) to 'head of a group' (社長, 校長).
How many strokes does 長 have?
長 has 8 strokes, and it is also the 'long' radical — one of the standalone kanji that doubles as its own radical.
What does 成長 mean if 長 means 'leader'?
成長 (せいちょう) means 'growth.' Here 長 carries its 'long / extending' sense rather than 'chief,' showing both meanings come from the same root idea.