KaiwaGo今 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
今 means “now”. It is written with 4 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: コン (kon), キン (kin). Kun’yomi: いま (ima).
How to write 今 (stroke order)
Write 今 in 4 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 今
Trace 今 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 今
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | コン (kon)キン (kin) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | いま (ima) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 今 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 今
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今 | いま ima | now | |
| 今日 | きょう kyou | today |
今 (ima) means “now”.
今日 (kyou) means “today”. Also in this word: 日
FAQ
What does 今 mean in Japanese?
今 means “now”. Common words with it are 今 (ima, “now”) and 今日 (kyou, “today”).
How many strokes does 今 have?
今 has 4 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 4.
How do you read 今?
The on’yomi is コン (kon), キン (kin) and the kun’yomi is いま (ima). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 今 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 今 is kanji number 25 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.