円 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
円 carries two connected ideas: "circle / round" and "yen." The two are linked by history — old coins were round, so the round-shape kanji became the name of the currency. For your N5 studies, the money meaning is by far the most important: 円 is the everyday word for Japanese money. Every price tag, vending machine, and restaurant menu writes prices with it, so 円 is one of the very first kanji you'll need to read in real life.
The "round" meaning still shows up too — in words like 円い (round) and 円形 (circular shape) — but you'll meet "yen" hundreds of times before you meet "circle" once.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | エン | 円 (yen), 百円 (100 yen), 千円 (1000 yen), 一万円 (10,000 yen) |
| kun'yomi | まる.い | 円い (round) |
A handy rule of thumb for most kanji: the kun'yomi (まる.い) appears when the kanji stands alone with a hiragana ending, while the on'yomi (エン) appears inside compound words. With 円 there's a small twist — because it's a currency unit, the on'yomi エン is used even when 円 stands by itself after a number (百円, 千円). So in practice you'll be reading エン almost all the time.
One more note: the "round" meaning is also commonly written with a different kanji, 丸い (まるい). Both 円い and 丸い are read まるい, but 丸い is the more usual everyday spelling, while 円 is the one you'll see on money.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 4, written in this order — the short top horizontal stroke first, then the left vertical, then the inside horizontal, and finally the long vertical that hooks at the bottom right.
- Radical: the radical is 冂 (the "upside-down box" or dōgamae), the open frame at the top and sides. It's a simple shape that frames the kanji like the edge of a coin.
With only 4 strokes, 円 is quick to write and easy to remember — picture the frame as the rim of a round coin, with the strokes inside as the design stamped on it.
Common words using 円
Notice the reading split: in money words (百円, 千円, 一万円) and in the compound 円形, 円 takes the on'yomi エン. Only in the standalone adjective 円い does it switch to the kun'yomi まる.い.
Example sentences
このパンは百円です。
この パンは ひゃくえんです。
This bread is 100 yen.
百円 — the on'yomi エン reading, the everyday 'yen' use.
ヤッタンは千円でノートを三冊買いました。
ヤッタンは せんえんで ノートを さんさつ かいました。
Yattan bought three notebooks for 1,000 yen.
千円 again uses エン — by far the most common way you'll meet 円.
モチは「この皿は円いね」と言いました。
モチは「この さらは まるいね」と いいました。
Mochi said, This plate is round.
円い uses the kun'yomi まる.い — the original 'circle / round' meaning.
Quick recap
- 円 = "circle / round", but in daily life almost always means "yen," Japan's money.
- エン (on) for money and compounds: 百円, 千円, 一万円, 円形.
- まる.い (kun) for the standalone adjective 円い (round) — though 丸い is the more common spelling.
- Just 4 strokes, with the 冂 (upside-down box) radical framing it like a coin's rim.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 円 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What does 円 mean — circle or yen?
Both. Originally 円 means 'circle / round,' but in everyday Japanese it almost always means 'yen,' the name of Japan's currency. You'll see it on every price tag, as in 百円 (100 yen).
How do you read 円 after a number, like 500円?
It's read with the on'yomi エン. So 500円 is ごひゃくえん (gohyaku-en). The yen amount uses エン even though 円 stands alone after the number.
What's the difference between 円い and 丸い?
Both are read まるい and mean 'round.' 丸い is the more common everyday spelling, while 円 is mainly used for the currency. You'll meet 円 far more often as 'yen' than as 'round.'
How many strokes does 円 have?
円 has just 4 strokes, making it one of the easiest N5 kanji to write. Its radical is 冂, the 'upside-down box,' which frames it like the rim of a round coin.