来 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 来 is about coming and about what comes next in time. You'll meet it in two roles. As a standalone verb it's 来る ("to come") — movement toward the speaker. As a building block in compounds it usually carries the idea of "next" or "coming up": 来年 ("next year"), 来週 ("next week"), 来月 ("next month"). It also reaches into the abstract, as in 未来 ("the future" — literally "not-yet-come"). So whenever you spot 来, think either "someone's coming" or "something's on the way."
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | く.る | 来る (to come) |
| kun'yomi | きた.る | 来る (きたる, upcoming — formal/written) |
| on'yomi | ライ | 来年 (next year), 来週 (next week), 来月 (next month), 未来 (the future), 来日 (coming to Japan) |
Here's the usual rule of thumb: the kun'yomi (く.る) appears when the kanji stands alone with a hiragana ending, while the on'yomi (ライ) shows up inside two-kanji compound words. So 来る uses く.る, but 来年 uses ライ. The reading きた.る also exists, but it's a formal, written-style word (as in 来る十日, "the coming 10th") — you'll mostly meet く.る at N5.
The big irregular warning: 来る is one of only two truly irregular verbs in Japanese (the other is する). The kanji 来 stays the same, but the reading on top of it changes: dictionary form 来る = くる, the negative 来ない = こない, the polite 来ます = きます, and the て-form 来て = きて. Same character, three different vowel sounds — this is worth memorizing as a set early on.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 7, written top to bottom. Start with the top horizontal stroke, work down through the long vertical and the crossing horizontals, then finish with the two diagonal "legs" that splay out at the bottom.
- Radical: 来 is classified under 木 (き), the "tree" radical. You can see a tree-like shape hiding in the character — a central trunk with branches and roots — which makes the overall form easier to picture and remember.
Knowing the 木 connection gives you a handle on the shape: think of a slim tree with a little roof on top, and the strokes fall into place.
Common words using 来
Notice the split in action: the lone verb 来る takes the kun'yomi く.る, while every compound (来年, 来週, 来月, 未来, 来日) flips to the on'yomi ライ. That's the rule of thumb working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは毎日学校に来る。
ヤッタンは まいにち がっこうに くる。
Yattan comes to school every day.
来る — the irregular kun'yomi く.る reading (dictionary form = くる).
モチは来年、日本語の試験を受けます。
モチは らいねん、にほんごの しけんを うけます。
Mochi will take the Japanese exam next year.
来年 uses the on'yomi ライ — the 'next' meaning in a compound.
弟は「先生は今日は来ない」と言いました。
おとうとは「せんせいは きょうは こない」と いいました。
My little brother said, 'Sensei isn't coming today.'
The irregular negative: 来ない reads こない, not くない — the famous vowel shift.
Quick recap
- 来 = come / next / due; 7 strokes; filed under the 木 "tree" radical.
- く.る when it stands alone (来る); ライ in compounds (来年, 来週, 来月, 未来).
- 来る is irregular: 来る = くる, 来ない = こない, 来ます = きます — same kanji, shifting vowels.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 来 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Why does 来る read differently in 来ない and 来ます?
来る is one of Japanese's two irregular verbs. The kanji 来 stays put while the reading changes: 来る = くる, 来ない = こない, 来ます = きます, 来て = きて. Learn these as a set.
How do you read 来 in 来る vs 来年?
In 来る it's the kun'yomi く (来る = くる, 'to come'). In 来年 it's the on'yomi ライ (来年 = らいねん, 'next year'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 来 have?
来 has 7 strokes and is classified under the 木 'tree' radical, written from the top horizontal stroke down to the two splayed legs at the bottom.
What's the difference between 来年, 来週, and 来月?
All three use the on'yomi ライ with the 'next' meaning: 来年 (らいねん) = next year, 来週 (らいしゅう) = next week, 来月 (らいげつ) = next month.