Readings: コウ (Onyomi), あら-い, あ-れる, あ-らす, すさ-む (Kunyomi)
Meaning: rough, wild, desolate, rude, stormy
The kanji 荒 combines the radical 艹 (grass/plant) and 亡 (perish/lost) over 川 (river). This combination suggests land or vegetation that has become wild, devastated, or fallen into disrepair, leading to meanings of roughness, wildness, desolation, or ruin.
View JLPT N2 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 荒 has 9 strokes. It starts with the top grass radical (艹) with three strokes, followed by the left vertical and horizontal strokes of 亡, then the diagonal stroke, then the inner vertical hook and horizontal stroke, and finally the three strokes for 川 at the bottom.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 艹 (くさかんむり) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 9 |
| JLPT Level | N2 |
| Grade | S |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- コウ (Kou)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- あら-い (arai)
- あ-れる (areru)
- あ-らす (arasu)
- すさ-む (susamu)
Common Words Using 荒
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 荒廃 | こうはい | devastation; ruin; decay |
| 荒涼 | こうりょう | bleak; desolate; dreary |
| 荒唐無稽 | こうとうむけい | absurd; preposterous; wild |
| 荒天 | こうてん | stormy weather |
| 荒蕪 | こうぶ | uncultivated; desolate (land) |
| 荒野 | こうや | wilderness; wasteland |
| 荒廃地 | こうはいち | devastated land; wasteland |
| 荒涼感 | こうりょうかん | feeling of bleakness/desolation |
| 荒寥 | こうりょう | bleakness; desolation (variant of 荒涼) |
| 荒廃国家 | こうはいこっか | failed state |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 荒い | あらい | rough; coarse; wild; violent |
| 荒れる | あれる | to be stormy/rough; to be in disrepair; to be wasted |
| 荒らす | あらす | to lay waste; to devastate; to plunder |
| 荒っぽい | あらっぽい | rough; rude; coarse |
| 荒波 | あらなみ | rough waves; rough seas |
| 荒稼ぎ | あらかせぎ | making a lot of money quickly; raking in profits |
| 荒事 | あらごと | rough stuff (in Kabuki acting) |
| 荒れ果てる | あれはてる | to become completely desolate; to fall into ruin |
| 荒々しい | あらあらしい | wild; rough; rude; violent |
| 荒療治 | あらりょうじ | drastic remedy/treatment |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 海が荒れている。
Kana: うみがれている。
Romaji: Umi ga areteiru.
English: The sea is rough.
Japanese: 手が荒れてしまった。
Kana: てがれてしまった。
Romaji: Te ga arete shimatta.
English: My hands became chapped/rough.
Japanese: 家が荒らされた。
Kana: いえが荒らされた。
Romaji: Ie ga arasareta.
English: The house was ransacked.
Japanese: 彼の運転は荒い。
Kana: かれのうんてんはあらい。
Romaji: Kare no unten wa arai.
English: His driving is rough.
Japanese: 嵐で町が荒廃した。
Kana: あらしでまちがこうはいした。
Romaji: Arashi de machi ga kouhai shita.
English: The town was devastated by the storm.
Japanese: 荒れ地を開墾する。
Kana: あれちをかいこんする。
Romaji: Arechi o kaikon suru.
English: To cultivate the wasteland.
Japanese: 荒々しい波が打ち寄せる。
Kana: あらあらしいなみがうちよせる。
Romaji: Araarashii nami ga uchiyoseru.
English: Rough waves are crashing.
Japanese: 感情が荒れると、冷静な判断ができない。
Kana: かんじょうがあれると、れいせいなはんだんができない。
Romaji: Kanjou ga areru to, reisei na handan ga dekinai.
English: If emotions get rough, one cannot make calm judgments.
Japanese: 彼の口調は荒っぽい。
Kana: かれのくちょうはあらっぽい。
Romaji: Kare no kuchou wa arappoi.
English: His tone of voice is rough/rude.
Japanese: 荒野を旅する。
Kana: こうやをたびする。
Romaji: Kouya o tabisuru.
English: To travel through the wilderness.
Related Grammar & kanji list
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