出 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 出 is about something coming out or going out — leaving a place, exiting through a door, or putting/taking something out. You'll meet it in two main roles: as a pair of standalone verbs (出る "to go out," 出す "to take out") and as a building block inside compound words about leaving and producing (出発 "departure," 外出 "going out," 出席 "attendance"). The everyday word you'll spot first is 出口 (でぐち), the "exit" sign at stations, shops, and buildings all over Japan.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | で.る | 出る (to go out, exit), 出口 (exit) |
| kun'yomi | だ.す | 出す (to take out, submit), 思い出す (to recall) |
| on'yomi | シュツ | 出発 (departure), 外出 (going out), 出席 (attendance) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the kun'yomi (で.る / だ.す) tends to show up when the kanji stands alone with hiragana endings, while the on'yomi (シュツ) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 出る uses で.る, but 出発 uses シュツ. One thing to watch: シュツ often shortens to しゅっ before certain sounds, so 出発 is read しゅっぱつ (not しゅつはつ) and 出席 is しゅっせき.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 5. A common trick is to remember it as two small 山 ("mountain") shapes stacked, but officially it's drawn in 5 strokes — the central vertical line first, then the surrounding shapes from top to bottom and left to right.
- Radical: the radical is 凵 (the "container" or open-box radical). Picture something sprouting up and out of a container — a plant pushing out of a pot — which fits 出's core idea of coming out and emerging.
Recognizing the simple, blocky shape of 出 makes it easy to pick out on signs even before you can read everything around it.
Common words using 出
Notice the reading split in action: the lone verbs 出る and 出す take the kun'yomi (で.る, だ.す), while every compound (出発, 外出, 出席) flips to the on'yomi シュツ — often squeezed down to しゅっ.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは毎朝七時に家を出ます。
ヤッタンは まいあさ しちじに いえを でます。
Yattan leaves the house at seven every morning.
出る — the kun'yomi で.る reading (intransitive: something goes out).
モチは弟に「宿題を出して」と言いました。
モチは おとうとに「しゅくだいを だして」と いいました。
Mochi told his little brother, 'Hand in your homework.'
出す — the kun'yomi だ.す reading (transitive: you put/take something out).
先生は明日の出発の時間を教えてくれました。
せんせいは あしたの しゅっぱつの じかんを おしえて くれました。
Sensei told us the departure time for tomorrow.
出発 — the on'yomi シュツ, shortened to しゅっ before ぱ (しゅっぱつ).
Quick recap
- 出 = exit / leave / put out / come out; just 5 strokes.
- Two kun verbs: 出る (で.る, intransitive — something goes out) vs 出す (だ.す, transitive — you take/put something out).
- シュツ in compounds (出発, 外出, 出席); it often becomes しゅっ before certain sounds.
- 出口 (でぐち, "exit") is the word you'll see most — on signs everywhere.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 出 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 出る and 出す?
Both use kun'yomi readings of 出. 出る (でる) is intransitive — something itself goes out or leaves (家を出る, 'to leave the house'). 出す (だす) is transitive — you take or put something out (ごみを出す, 'to take out the trash'). Pairs like this, one intransitive and one transitive, are very common in Japanese.
Why is 出発 read しゅっぱつ and not しゅつはつ?
The on'yomi of 出 is シュツ, but before certain sounds it shortens to しゅっ with a small っ. So 出発 becomes しゅっぱつ and 出席 becomes しゅっせき. This sound change is normal in compounds and gets natural with practice.
How do I read 出 in 出口?
出口 is read でぐち, using the kun'yomi で.る side of 出 plus 口 (くち → ぐち, 'mouth/opening'). It means 'exit' and is one of the first signs you'll learn to recognize in Japan.
How many strokes does 出 have?
出 has 5 strokes. Although it looks like two 山 ('mountain') shapes stacked, it is written in 5 strokes, and its radical is 凵, the 'container' radical.