Readings: ライ (Onyomi), くる / きます / こない / きた (Kunyomi)
Meaning: to come
The kanji 来 means “to come” and is one of the most essential verbs in Japanese. It’s used to indicate movement toward the speaker or future actions. It appears in words like 来る (to come), 来年 (next year), and 来日 (coming to Japan).
View JLPT N5 Kanji ListKanji Details
| Radical | 木 (tree) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 7 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
| Grade | 2nd Grade |
Readings
| Onyomi | ライ |
|---|---|
| Kunyomi | くる / きます / こない / きた |
How to Write – Stroke Order
来 is based on the kanji for “tree” with an additional stroke, symbolizing fruit or something coming to the tree. It visually represents the concept of arrival.
- Start with the horizontal stroke on top
- Write the tree structure (木) below
Example Sentences
Japanese: 明日、友だちが来ます。
Kana: あした、ともだちがきます。
Romaji: Ashita, tomodachi ga kimasu.
English: A friend is coming tomorrow.
Japanese: 日本に来たことがあります。
Kana: にほんにきたことがあります。
Romaji: Nihon ni kita koto ga arimasu.
English: I have been to Japan.
Japanese: 来週、テストがあります。
Kana: らいしゅう、テストがあります。
Romaji: Raishuu, tesuto ga arimasu.
English: There is a test next week.
Vocabulary Using 来
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 来る | くる | to come |
| 来ます | きます | comes |
| 来週 | らいしゅう | next week |
| 来年 | らいねん | next year |
| 来日 | らいにち | coming to Japan |
🔗 N5 Grammar & Vocabulary
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