行 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 行 is about movement and doing: going somewhere, taking a trip, or carrying something out. You'll meet it in three roles. First, as the everyday verb 行く ("to go"). Second, as a second verb, 行う ("to carry out / to hold," as in holding an event). Third, as a building block inside lots of compound words about journeys and actions — 旅行 ("travel"), 銀行 ("bank"), 行動 ("action"), 飛行機 ("airplane"). Whenever you spot 行, think "go / do," and you'll usually be close to the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | い.く | 行く (to go) |
| kun'yomi | ゆ.く | 行く (to go — literary/poetic) |
| kun'yomi | おこな.う | 行う (to carry out, to hold) |
| on'yomi | コウ | 旅行 (travel), 銀行 (bank), 行動 (action) |
| on'yomi | ギョウ | 行儀 (ぎょうぎ, manners) — less common |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi (い.く, おこな.う) tends to appear when the kanji stands alone with hiragana endings, while the on'yomi (コウ) shows up inside two-kanji compound words. So 行く uses い.く, but 旅行 uses コウ. One thing to flag early: 行 has two kun verbs — 行く ("to go") and 行う ("to carry out") — so the hiragana ending tells you which one you're reading. And while コウ covers most compounds, a handful take ギョウ instead (行儀 "manners"), so treat ギョウ as the exception to watch for.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 6, written left side first, then right. Start with the two short strokes of the left "step" element, then write the right half top to bottom.
- Radical: 行 is its own radical, the "go" radical called ぎょうがまえ (行構え). It's an "enclosure-style" radical that wraps around the left and right of a kanji, with other parts slotting into the middle. Recognizing it hints that a kanji has to do with going, roads, or movement — for example 街 ("town / street").
Recognizing the ぎょうがまえ shape is genuinely handy: the left-and-right "go" frame is a clue that the kanji relates to streets or travel.
Common words using 行
Notice the reading split in action: the standalone verbs 行く and 行う take the kun'yomi (い.く, おこな.う), while every compound — 旅行, 銀行, 行動, 飛行機 — flips to the on'yomi コウ. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは毎日学校へ行きます。
ヤッタンは まいにち がっこうへ いきます。
Yattan goes to school every day.
行く — the kun'yomi い.く reading, used as a standalone verb.
モチは夏休みに飛行機で旅行をした。
モチは なつやすみに ひこうきで りょこうを した。
Mochi took a trip by airplane during summer vacation.
Two compounds with the on'yomi コウ: 飛行機 (ひこうき) and 旅行 (りょこう).
先生は来週テストを行います。
せんせいは らいしゅう テストを おこないます。
Sensei will hold a test next week.
行う — the other kun'yomi, おこな.う, meaning 'to carry out / to hold'.
Quick recap
- 行 = go / journey / conduct; 6 strokes; it's the "go" radical (ぎょうがまえ) itself.
- い.く when it stands alone (行く); おこな.う for the other verb (行う); コウ in most compounds (旅行, 銀行, 行動).
- Watch for the exception ギョウ in a few words like 行儀 ("manners").
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 行 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 行 in 行く vs 旅行?
In 行く it's the kun'yomi い (行く = いく, 'to go'). In 旅行 it's the on'yomi コウ (旅行 = りょこう, 'travel'). As a rule, compound words take the on'yomi.
What's the difference between 行く and 行う?
They're two different kun'yomi verbs sharing the same kanji. 行く (いく) means 'to go,' while 行う (おこなう) means 'to carry out' or 'to hold' (like holding an event). The hiragana ending tells you which one it is.
When is 行 read ギョウ instead of コウ?
Most compounds use コウ (旅行, 銀行, 行動), but a few take the second on'yomi ギョウ, such as 行儀 (ぎょうぎ, 'manners'). Treat ギョウ as the exception to memorize.
How many strokes does 行 have?
行 has 6 strokes and is also the 'go' radical, called ぎょうがまえ, which frames the left and right sides of kanji related to roads and movement, such as 街 ('street').