五 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
五 simply means "five." It's one of the ten basic number kanji, and you'll use it constantly — for counting, telling time, reading dates, and giving prices. You'll meet it in two roles: standing alone as the number five (五, ご), and as the counter form 五つ (いつつ) for counting general things. As soon as you've nailed 一 through 十, words like 五月 ("May") and 五時 ("5 o'clock") fall into place almost for free.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | ゴ | 五 (five), 五月 (May), 五分 (five minutes), 五時 (5 o'clock) |
| kun'yomi | いつ.つ | 五つ (five things) |
| kun'yomi | いつ | 五日 (the 5th / five days) |
Here's the pattern for number kanji: the on'yomi ゴ is by far the most common — it's what you use for the bare number and in most counters (五月, 五分, 五時). The kun'yomi いつ.つ shows up in the generic counter 五つ, and the short kun いつ hides inside 五日. Watch out for 五日: it's read いつか, not "ごにち" — one of those date readings worth memorizing early.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 4, written top to bottom. Start with the top horizontal stroke, then the vertical, then the short angled stroke that crosses it, and finish with the long bottom horizontal line.
- Radical: 五 is filed under the 二 ("two") radical — the pair of horizontal lines that frame the character top and bottom. It's an easy, low-stroke kanji, so it's a great one to practice neat, balanced horizontals.
Because it's all straight lines, 五 is a good chance to focus on even spacing — keep the top and bottom strokes roughly the same length.
Common words using 五
Notice the reading split: the number itself and the time/duration words (五月, 五分, 五時) all take ゴ, while the generic counter 五つ takes いつ.つ. The odd one out is 五日 (いつか) — same いつ root, but an irregular date reading you'll just want to learn by heart.
Example sentences
ヤッタンはりんごを五つ買いました。
ヤッタンは りんごを いつつ かいました。
Yattan bought five apples.
五つ — the kun'yomi いつ.つ reading, used as a general counter.
モチは毎朝五時に起きます。
モチは まいあさ ごじに おきます。
Mochi gets up at five o'clock every morning.
五時 — the on'yomi ゴ reading, as in most time words.
先生は『五月五日は子どもの日です』と言いました。
せんせいは『ごがつ いつかは こどもの ひです』と いいました。
Sensei said, 'May 5th is Children's Day.'
Two readings in one line: 五月 (ゴ) and 五日 (いつか, irregular).
Quick recap
- 五 = five; just 4 strokes; filed under the 二 ("two") radical.
- ゴ is the workhorse reading — the bare number plus 五月, 五分, 五時.
- いつ.つ appears in the counter 五つ; いつ hides in 五日.
- Remember the irregular date: 五日 = いつか, not "ごにち."
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 五 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 五 by itself?
On its own, the number five is read ご (the on'yomi). You'll also use ご in most counters, like 五月 (ごがつ, 'May') and 五時 (ごじ, '5 o'clock').
Why is 五日 read いつか and not ごにち?
五日 ('the 5th' or 'five days') uses an irregular date reading, いつか. The first five days of the month all take special kun-based readings, so it's best to memorize them as a set.
When do I use 五つ?
五つ (いつつ) is the general counter for five things — objects without their own special counter. Use it the same way as 一つ, 二つ, and so on.
How many strokes does 五 have?
五 has 4 strokes and is classified under the 二 ('two') radical. Write it top to bottom, finishing with the long bottom horizontal line.