字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

learn

On’yomi シュウ、ジュ
Kun’yomi なら.う、なら.い

Origin

The character combines two visual ideas to express learning. The top part, 羽 (feathers or wings), suggests practice and repetition, like a bird repeatedly flapping its wings to master flight. The bottom part, 白 (white or bright), represents clarity or understanding. Together, they paint a picture of how learning works: through repeated practice, understanding gradually becomes clear. Over time, this combination came to mean "learn" in the broader sense of acquiring knowledge and skill.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).

習 11 strokes

Components

  • 羽 radical top
  • 白 meaning part bottom

Common words

  • 演習 えんしゅう practice; exercise
  • 学習 がくしゅう learning; study
  • 慣習 かんしゅう custom; convention
  • 教習 きょうしゅう training; instruction
  • 講習 こうしゅう short course; training
  • 自習 じしゅう self-study; teaching oneself
  • 実習 じっしゅう practice (in the field); training (esp. practical and hands-on)
  • 習う ならう to take lessons in; to be taught

Related kanji

Same radical
Shares components

Reference

Strokes
11
Kangxi radical
124
Grade
Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#706 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 3
Unicode
U+07FD2