語 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 語 is about words and language. You'll meet it most often as the suffix 〜語 that turns a country or topic into a language: 日本語 ("Japanese"), 英語 ("English"), 中国語 ("Chinese"). It also means a single word — 単語 ("vocabulary word") — and, used as a verb, to narrate or tell a story (語る). The handy payoff is that whenever 語 appears, you can safely bet the word has something to do with language, words, or telling — an instant head start on the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | ゴ | 日本語 (Japanese), 英語 (English), 単語 (vocabulary word), 国語 (national language) |
| kun'yomi | かた.る | 語る (to narrate, to tell), 物語 (ものがたり, tale, story) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the on'yomi (ゴ) shows up inside two-kanji and longer compounds — and for 語 that's nearly always, since it's the "〜language / word" building block. The kun'yomi (かた.る) appears when the kanji stands more or less alone with a hiragana ending (語る). So 英語 uses ゴ, but 語る uses かた.る.
One special reading to flag: in 物語 ("tale, story") the whole word is read ものがたり — here 語 takes the kun reading がたり (a voiced form of かたり). It's a common irregular-looking word worth memorizing as a set.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 14, written left to right — the 言 (speech) radical on the left first, then the right-hand side.
- Radical: the left part is 言, the "speech / words" radical (ごんべん). It marks kanji that have to do with talking, language, and writing — you'll see it in 話 (to talk / story) and 読 (to read), among many others.
Recognizing 言 on the left is genuinely useful: meet a new kanji with the ごんべん and you can already guess it relates to speaking or language.
Common words using 語
Notice the reading split in action: every "〜language / word" compound (日本語, 英語, 単語, 国語) takes ゴ, while the lone verb 語る takes かた.る. The one to watch is 物語, read ものがたり — the kun reading in a voiced, irregular-looking form.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは毎日日本語を勉強しています。
ヤッタンは まいにち にほんごを べんきょうして います。
Yattan studies Japanese every day.
日本語 — the on'yomi ゴ reading (the 〜language suffix).
モチは新しい単語を五つ覚えました。
モチは あたらしい たんごを いつつ おぼえました。
Mochi memorized five new vocabulary words.
単語 (たんご) — again the on'yomi ゴ, here meaning a single 'word.'
先生はクラスでヤッタンの物語を語りました。
せんせいは クラスで ヤッタンの ものがたりを かたりました。
Sensei told the story of Yattan in class.
Both kun forms in one sentence: 物語 (ものがたり) and 語りました (かた.る).
Quick recap
- 語 = language / word / to narrate; 14 strokes; built on the 言 (speech) radical.
- ゴ in compounds, especially the "〜language" suffix (日本語, 英語, 単語, 国語).
- かた.る when it stands alone (語る "to narrate"); watch the irregular 物語 = ものがたり.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 語 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 語 in 日本語 vs 語る?
In 日本語 it's the on'yomi ゴ (日本語 = にほんご, 'Japanese language'). In 語る it's the kun'yomi かた (語る = かたる, 'to narrate'). As a rule, the 〜language / word compounds take the on'yomi ゴ.
How many strokes does 語 have?
語 has 14 strokes. It's built from the 言 (speech) radical on the left, written first, followed by the right-hand side.
Why is 物語 read ものがたり and not ものご?
物語 uses the kun'yomi of 語 in a voiced form: かたり becomes がたり after 物 (もの). It's a common set word, so it's best memorized as ものがたり ('tale, story').
What does the 言 radical in 語 tell me?
言 is the 'speech / words' radical (ごんべん). When it sits on the left of a kanji, it signals the kanji relates to talking, language, or writing — as in 話 (talk) and 読 (read) — a handy clue for guessing meanings.