元

beginning, former time, origin

Readings

On'yomi (音読み)

ガンゲン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

もと

Nanori (名乗り)

ちかはじめはるゆきよし

Stroke Order

4 / 4

Information

Grade:2

Strokes:4

JLPT:N4

Frequency:192

Vocabulary

ガン

Word	Reading	Meaning
元祖	ガンソ	originator; pioneer; inventor; founder; progenitor; primogenitor; founder of a family line
元旦	ガンタン	New Year's Day; first day of the year; New Year's morning; morning of New Year's Day
元日	ガンジツ	New Year's Day
元日	ガンニチ	New Year's Day
元年	ガンネン	first year (of an imperial era); year something (important) first happened or began

ゲン

Word	Reading	Meaning
一元	イチゲン	single element; unitary; one era; one unknown
一元化	イチゲンカ	unification; centralization; centralisation
還元	カンゲン	restoration; return; reduction; resolution; deoxidization; deoxidation
紀元	キゲン	era; CE (Common Era); AD (Anno Domini)
紀元前	キゲンゼン	pre-era; BC; BCE

Other

Word	Reading	Meaning
家元	いえもと	head of a school (of music, dance); head family of a school
元	もと	origin; source; beginning; basis; base; foundation; root; cause; (raw) material; ingredient; base; mix (e.g. for a cake); (soup) stock; (one's) side; capital; principal; cost price; root (of a plant); (tree) trunk; part (of a brush, chopsticks, etc.) one holds (with the hand); first three lines of a waka; counter for plants or trees; counter for falcons (in falconry)
元より	もとより	from the beginning; from the first; all along; originally; of course; not to mention ...; not only ... but also ...; to say nothing of ...
元師	げんすい	(field) marshal; (fleet) admiral; general of the army
元本	がんぽん	principal; capital; income-producing assets

Visually Similar Kanji

These kanji are easily confused due to similar shapes

well, well crib, town, community

heavens, sky, imperial

before, ahead, previous, future, precedence

old man, old age, grow old

un-, not yet, hitherto, still, even now, sign of the ram, 1-3PM, eighth sign of Chinese zodiac

lose, error, fault, disadvantage, loss

end, close, tip, powder, posterity

tag, paper money, counter for bonds, placard, bid