校 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
校 means "school" — and, helpfully, that's nearly all it ever means. Unlike many kanji that wander across several unrelated senses, 校 sticks to the world of schools: 学校 ("school"), 高校 ("high school"), 小学校 ("elementary school"), 校長 ("principal"), 校門 ("school gate"). Whenever you see 校 inside a word, you can confidently bet it has something to do with school or schooling. That makes it one of the friendliest kanji at N5: learn the one reading, and the meaning takes care of itself.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | コウ | 学校 (school), 高校 (high school), 校長 (principal), 校門 (school gate) |
| kun'yomi | — | (no common kun'yomi) |
The big simplification here is that 校 is read コウ essentially everywhere. There's no standalone "kun" form to memorize — 校 doesn't appear on its own with hiragana endings the way 食べる does. So instead of juggling a kun/on split, you just need to recognize 校 = コウ inside compounds and you're done.
One reading to watch carefully: 学校 is read がっこう, not "がくこう." When 学 (がく) meets 校 (こう), the く sound doubles into a small っ — a very common sound change in Japanese called gemination. Say it out loud a few times ("gak-koh") and it'll lock in.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 10, written left part first, then right — start with the 木 on the left, then build the right side from top to bottom.
- Radical: 校 is built on the 木 (き / tree) radical, sitting on the left in its compressed "tree" form. Historically, school buildings and the things in them were made of wood, which is a handy story to attach to the shape.
Recognizing 木 on the left is useful well beyond this kanji: many kanji for wooden or plant-related things (村 "village," 林 "woods," 林 and friends) carry that same tree on the left. Here it pairs with the right-hand part that supplies the コウ sound.
Common words using 校
Notice how steady the reading is: 高校 (こうこう), 校長 (こうちょう), 校門 (こうもん) all keep 校 as こう. The only twist is 学校 → がっこう and 小学校 → しょうがっこう, where the earlier く shrinks into a small っ. The 校 itself never changes its sound.
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.
学校 = がっこう — note the small っ (gemination); it's not 'がくこう'.
モチは高校生で、毎朝校門の前で待っています。
モチは こうこうせいで、まいあさ こうもんの まえで まっています。
Mochi is a high school student and waits in front of the school gate every morning.
Two コウ words in one line: 高校生 (こうこうせい) and 校門 (こうもん).
先生は「校長先生に挨拶しましょう」と言いました。
せんせいは「こうちょうせんせいに あいさつしましょう」と いいました。
Sensei said, Let's go greet the principal.
校長 = こうちょう — 校 keeps its コウ reading here too.
Quick recap
- 校 = school; 10 strokes; built on the 木 (tree) radical.
- One reading to learn: the on'yomi コウ (no common kun'yomi).
- Watch the sound change: 学校 = がっこう (small っ), not "がくこう."
- If you see 校 in a word, it almost always means something school-related.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 校 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 校?
Almost always with the on'yomi コウ — as in 学校 (がっこう, 'school'), 高校 (こうこう, 'high school'), and 校長 (こうちょう, 'principal'). It has no common kun'yomi, so コウ is the one reading to remember.
Why is 学校 read がっこう and not がくこう?
When 学 (がく) is followed by 校 (こう), the く doubles into a small っ. This sound change, called gemination, is very common in Japanese compounds, so 学校 becomes がっこう.
How many strokes does 校 have, and what's its radical?
校 has 10 strokes and is built on the 木 (tree) radical, which sits on the left side. The right side supplies the コウ sound.
Does 校 ever mean anything other than 'school'?
For N5 purposes, no — 校 reliably points to schools and schooling (学校, 高校, 校長, 校門). If you spot it in a word, you can safely guess the word is school-related.