丸: the kanji for round; circle; whole
丸 is a JLPT N2 kanji that means round; circle; whole. Below are its readings, 5 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
丸 is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
丸 has 4 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 5 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ガン (gan)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 弾丸だんがん · dangan | bullet |
まる (maru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 丸まる · maru | circle |
| 丸ごとまるごと · marugoto | whole; entirely |
まるい (marui)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 丸いまるい · marui | round |
まるめる (marumeru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 丸めるまるめる · marumeru | to roll up; to crumple |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 正しい答えに丸をつけてください。Tadashii kotae ni maru o tsukete kudasai.Please circle the correct answer.
- 猫が丸くなって寝ている。Neko ga maruku natte nete iru.The cat is curled up asleep.
- りんごを丸ごと食べた。Ringo o marugoto tabeta.I ate a whole apple.
- 紙を丸めてごみ箱に捨てた。Kami o marumete gomibako ni suteta.I crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash.
- 丸一日かけて部屋を掃除した。Maru ichinichi kakete heya o sōji shita.I spent a whole day cleaning my room.
Questions about 丸
How many strokes does 丸 have?
丸 is written in 3 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 丸?
The on readings are gan (ガン). The kun readings are maru (まる), marui (まるい), marumeru (まるめる).
What JLPT level is 丸?
N2. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N2 is designed to match the former Level 2.
More JLPT N2 kanji
Qualities and conditions
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 丸
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.