国 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 国 is all about a country or nation. You'll meet it in two roles: as the standalone noun くに ("a country / one's home country") and as a building block inside lots of place-and-nationality words (中国 "China," 外国 "foreign country," 韓国 "South Korea," 国語 "national language"). The handy payoff is that whenever you spot 国 in an unfamiliar word, you can bet it has something to do with a country or a nation — an instant head start on the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | くに | 国 (country), お国 (your home country — polite) |
| on'yomi | コク | 外国 (foreign country), 国語 (national language), 韓国 (South Korea) |
| on'yomi | コク → ごく | 中国 (ちゅうごく, China) — voiced after the first kanji |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the kun'yomi (くに) tends to show up when the kanji stands alone, while the on'yomi (コク) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 国 by itself is くに, but 外国 uses コク. One thing to watch: in some compounds コク softens to ごく, as in 中国 (ちゅうごく). This voicing — called rendaku — is common in Japanese, and you'll pick it up word by word.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 8. Write the box from the outside in — start the left vertical, then the top-and-right of the frame, then fill the inside (the 玉-like center), and close the bottom of the box last. Sealing the enclosure at the end is the classic rule for any kanji built on 囗.
- Radical: the outer box 囗 is the "enclosure" radical (sometimes called kunigamae, the "country frame"). It pictures borders drawn around a territory — exactly the idea of a country's boundaries. The same frame appears in other "bounded space" kanji like 園 (garden) and 図 (diagram/map).
Recognizing that frame is genuinely useful: meet a new kanji wrapped in 囗 and you can guess it involves an enclosed area or a defined space.
Common words using 国
Notice the reading split in action: the lone noun 国 takes くに, while every compound (外国, 国語, 韓国) flips to the on'yomi. And in 中国 that on'yomi voices to ごく — the rendaku to keep an eye on.
Example sentences
ヤッタンの国は日本です。
ヤッタンの くには にほんです。
Yattan's country is Japan.
国 standing alone — the kun'yomi くに reading.
モチは外国の音楽が大好きです。
モチは がいこくの おんがくが だいすきです。
Mochi loves foreign music.
外国 uses the on'yomi コク (がいこく) inside a compound.
先生は「中国語と国語の勉強をしましょう」と言いました。
せんせいは「ちゅうごくごと こくごの べんきょうを しましょう」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'Let's study Chinese and Japanese language.'
Two readings together: 中国 voices to ごく (ちゅうごく), while 国語 stays コク (こくご).
Quick recap
- 国 = country / nation; 8 strokes; built on the 囗 "enclosure" radical (borders around a territory).
- くに when it stands alone (国); コク in compounds (外国, 国語, 韓国).
- Watch the voicing: コク softens to ごく in 中国 (ちゅうごく) — that's rendaku.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 国 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 国 by itself vs in 外国?
On its own, 国 is the kun'yomi くに ('country'). In the compound 外国 it's the on'yomi コク (外国 = がいこく, 'foreign country'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
Why is 中国 read ちゅうごく and not ちゅうこく?
The on'yomi コク voices to ごく after the first kanji — a sound change called rendaku. It's very common in Japanese compounds, so 中国 becomes ちゅうごく.
How many strokes does 国 have, and what's the radical?
国 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 囗, the 'enclosure' radical, which pictures borders drawn around a territory — fitting for a country. Remember to close the bottom of the box last.
What does 外国人 mean and how is it read?
外国人 (がいこくじん) means 'foreigner' — literally 'foreign-country person.' It keeps the on'yomi コク from 外国 and adds 人 (じん, person).