天 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 天 is all about the sky and the heavens — the great space above us. You'll meet it most often inside two-kanji compound words about weather and the world above (天気 "weather," 雨天 "rainy weather"), and it also carries the bigger idea of "heaven" in the religious or fortunate sense (天国 "paradise," 天才 "genius" — literally "heaven-given talent"). The nice payoff is that whenever you spot 天 in an unfamiliar word, you can usually bet it touches on the sky, the heavens, or something gifted from above.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | テン | 天気 (weather), 天才 (genius), 天国 (heaven), 雨天 (rainy weather) |
| kun'yomi | あま | 天の川 (あまのがわ, the Milky Way) — rare |
| kun'yomi | あめ | 天 (あめ, heaven) — rare, mostly old/poetic |
Here 天 is the opposite of many N5 kanji: the on'yomi テン is the everyday reading, appearing in nearly every common word (天気, 天才, 天国). The kun'yomi あま / あめ are rare and mostly turn up in fixed or poetic words like 天の川 ("the Milky Way"). So unlike kanji where the kun'yomi rules daily life, for 天 you should reach for テン first.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 4. Write the two horizontal lines first (top one shorter, the one below it longer), then the left-falling stroke, then the right-falling stroke — the same 大 "person" shape underneath a lid.
- Radical: 天 is filed under the 大 ("big") radical. Picture a person (大) standing with arms outstretched, and a single line stretched across the very top to mark the sky above their head — that top line is the "heaven."
Recognizing the parts here is genuinely useful, because 天 is easy to mix up with two look-alikes (see the next section). Lock in "the top line is longer, the sky is above the person" and you've got it.
Common words using 天
Notice the reading in action: every one of these uses the on'yomi テン (てんき, てんさい, てんごく, うてん, てんぷら). That's the headline for 天 — the on'yomi does almost all the work, and the kun'yomi あま / あめ stays in the background.
Example sentences
今日は天気がとてもいいですね。
きょうは てんきが とても いいですね。
The weather is really nice today, isn't it?
天気 — the on'yomi テン reading, in the most common 天 word.
ヤッタンは漢字がとても上手で、みんなに天才と呼ばれています。
ヤッタンは かんじが とても じょうずで、みんなに てんさいと よばれて います。
Yattan is so good at kanji that everyone calls him a genius.
天才 (てんさい) — again the on'yomi テン, meaning 'genius.'
弟は「天の川を見たい」と先生に言いました。
おとうとは「あまのがわを みたい」と せんせいに いいました。
My little brother told the teacher, 'I want to see the Milky Way.'
天の川 (あまのがわ) — one of the rare kun'yomi あま readings.
Quick recap
- 天 = heaven / sky; just 4 strokes; filed under the 大 "big" radical.
- The everyday reading is the on'yomi テン (天気, 天才, 天国, 雨天, 天ぷら).
- The kun'yomi あま / あめ are rare — mostly the fixed word 天の川 (あまのがわ).
- Don't confuse 天 with 大 ("big") or 夫 ("husband") — the top line of 天 is longer and sits above the 大 shape.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 天 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 天 in 天気?
In 天気 it's the on'yomi テン (天気 = てんき, 'weather'). For 天 the on'yomi テン is the everyday reading and shows up in almost every common word, such as 天才 (てんさい) and 天国 (てんごく).
Does 天 have a kun'yomi?
Yes — あま and あめ — but they're rare. You'll mostly see them in fixed words like 天の川 (あまのがわ, 'the Milky Way'). For daily use, reach for the on'yomi テン first.
How many strokes does 天 have?
天 has 4 strokes: two horizontal lines on top (the lower one longer), then a left-falling and a right-falling stroke. It's filed under the 大 'big' radical.
How is 天 different from 大 and 夫?
All three look similar. 天 ('heaven/sky') has a long top line above the 大 shape; 大 ('big') is just the person shape with no line on top; 夫 ('husband') has a vertical stroke poking through the top. Watch the top of the character to tell them apart.