者 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N4)
What it means
者 labels a person by their type, role, or quality. It almost never stands fully alone; instead it attaches to another word and means "the person who is/does that." So 学 (study) + 者 = 学者 "a scholar (one who studies)," and 若 (young) + 者 = 若者 "a young person." If you've met English suffixes like -er or -ist, 者 plays the same job in Japanese.
The big payoff: when you see 者 at the end of a word, you can confidently read it as "a person who ~," then work out the rest from the kanji in front. That single habit unlocks dozens of words.
One thing to keep straight: the kun reading もの ("a person") sounds exactly like 物 (もの, "a thing"). They are different kanji with different meanings — 者 is always a person, 物 is a thing.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | シャ | 医者 (doctor), 学者 (scholar), 記者 (reporter) |
| kun'yomi | もの | 若者 (young person), 人気者 (popular person) |
The usual rule of thumb applies here too: the on'yomi (シャ) shows up in Sino-Japanese compounds where 者 follows another kanji read with its on'yomi — 医者, 学者, 記者. The kun'yomi (もの) shows up in native-Japanese compounds where 者 follows a kun-read word — 若者 (わか + もの), 人気者 (にんき + もの). Spot which "flavor" the front part is, and you'll usually guess 者's reading correctly.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 8, written top to bottom. Start with the 土-like top section (the upper component), then the 日 box at the bottom.
- Radical: the radical is 耂/老 ("old") — the same element that sits on top of 老 (old) and 考 (to think). Knowing the radical helps you file 者 in a dictionary and tells you which group of kanji it keeps company with.
A handy recognition tip: 者 itself appears as a building block inside other kanji you'll meet later, such as 都 (capital) and 暑 (hot). Lock in its shape now and those become easier.
Common words using 者
Watch the reading split in action: the on'yomi compounds (医者, 学者, 記者, 後者) all take シャ, while the kun compounds built on native words (若者, 人気者) take もの. Same kanji, two reading families — decided by the word in front.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは病気になって、医者に行きました。
ヤッタンは びょうきに なって、いしゃに いきました。
Yattan got sick and went to the doctor.
医者 — the on'yomi シャ reading, in a Sino-Japanese compound.
モチはクラスの人気者で、若者にも先生にも好かれている。
モチは クラスの にんきもので、わかものにも せんせいにも すかれている。
Mochi is the popular one in class, liked by the young people and the teachers alike.
Both kun compounds here: 人気者 and 若者 use もの.
弟は「将来は新聞記者になりたい」と先生に言いました。
おとうとは「しょうらいは しんぶんきしゃに なりたい」と せんせいに いいました。
My little brother told the teacher, In the future I want to be a newspaper reporter.
記者 — again the on'yomi シャ reading.
Quick recap
- 者 = a person of a certain type / one who does ~; 8 strokes; radical 耂/老 ("old").
- シャ in on'yomi compounds (医者, 学者, 記者); もの in native compounds (若者, 人気者).
- Don't confuse the kun もの (者, a person) with 物 (もの, a thing).
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 者 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 者 in 医者 vs 若者?
In 医者 it's the on'yomi シャ (医者 = いしゃ, 'doctor'). In 若者 it's the kun'yomi もの (若者 = わかもの, 'young person'). On'yomi compounds take シャ; native-Japanese compounds take もの.
What's the difference between 者 (もの) and 物 (もの)?
They sound the same but mean different things. 者 (もの) is a person — 'someone of a type.' 物 (もの) is a thing or object. Same reading, completely different kanji and meaning.
How many strokes does 者 have and what's its radical?
者 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 耂/老 ('old'), the same top element found in 老 (old) and 考 (to think).
Does 者 ever appear by itself?
Rarely on its own in everyday speech; it almost always attaches to another word to mean 'the person who ~,' like 医者 (doctor) or 若者 (young person). On its own, 者 (もの) sounds stiff or literary.