Kanji 金 - gold
Kanji 金 means gold. Onyomi readings are キン (kin), コン (kon) . Kunyomi readings are かね (kane), かな (kana).
Stroke order animation (8 strokes)
Stroke Order Diagram
Each box shows the kanji up to that stroke. Red dot indicates stroke start point.
Readings of 金
音On'yomi (音読み)
訓Kun'yomi (訓読み)
金 in different fonts
Vocabulary with 金
| Audio | English  | Romaji | Japanese | Kana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| money | okane | お金 | おかね | |
| Friday | kinyoubi | 金曜日 | きんようび |
More Information about 金
Why is Friday called "Gold Day" in Japanese?
Friday is associated with Venus (金星 - Kinsei), which corresponds to the element of metal/gold (金 - kin). That’s why Friday is called "Gold Day."
Why is the planet Venus called Kinsei (金星) in Japanese?
In Japanese, Venus is called 金星 (Kinsei). The word breaks down as 金 (kin) meaning "gold/metal" and 星 (sei/hoshi) meaning "star" or "planet." The name comes from the ancient Chinese Five Elements theory (五行思想 - Gogyō Shisō), where each visible planet was linked to one of the five elements. Venus was associated with metal/gold (金 - kin) because of its bright, shining appearance. So 金星 (Kinsei) literally means "the Metal Star" or "the Gold Star."
What is Kintsugi (金継ぎ) and how does it relate to 金 (kin)?
Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is a traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold (金 - kin), silver, or platinum. The word comes from 金 (kin, "gold") and 継ぎ (tsugi, "joining" or "mending"). Instead of hiding cracks, Kintsugi highlights them with gold, making the object more beautiful and unique. It reflects a cultural philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection and embracing history, often linked to the idea of wabi-sabi (侘寂).
Does the 金 (kin) radical always mean gold?
Not always. The 金 (kin) radical more broadly points to metal in general, not just gold. For example, 鉄 (tetsu) means "iron," 銅 (dō) means "copper," and 鋼 (hagane) means "steel." They are all metals, even though not gold.
