来: the kanji for come
来 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means come. Below are its readings, 14 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
来 is written in 7 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
来 has 4 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 14 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ライ (rai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 来年らいねん · rainen | next year |
| 来月らいげつ · raigetsu | next month |
| 来週らいしゅう · raishū | next week |
| 将来しょうらい · shōrai | future |
| 以来いらい · irai | since |
| 本来ほんらい · honrai | originally; by nature |
| 来日らいにち · rainichi | coming to Japan |
| 来客らいきゃく · raikyaku | visitor |
| 来社らいしゃ · raisha | visiting a company |
| 未来みらい · mirai | the future |
| 従来じゅうらい · jūrai | conventional; until now |
| 往来おうらい · ōrai | coming and going; traffic |
くる (kuru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 来るくる · kuru | to come |
| 出来るできる · dekiru | to be able to; to be done |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 来週の予定を教えてください。Raishū no yotei o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me your schedule for next week.
- 明日、お客様が来社されます。Ashita, okyakusama ga raisha saremasu.A client is visiting our office tomorrow.
- 三年前に来日しました。Sannen mae ni rainichi shimashita.I came to Japan three years ago.
- 将来、自分の会社を作りたいです。Shōrai, jibun no kaisha o tsukuritai desu.In the future, I want to start my own company.
- 部長はもうすぐ来ます。Buchō wa mōsugu kimasu.The department manager will be here soon.
- 日本語の会話が少し出来ます。Nihongo no kaiwa ga sukoshi dekimasu.I can have a simple conversation in Japanese.
Questions about 来
How many strokes does 来 have?
来 is written in 7 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 来?
The on readings are rai (ライ). The kun readings are kuru (くる), kitaru (きたる), kitasu (きたす).
How do you say "next week" and "next month" in Japanese?
Use 来 (rai): 来週 (raishū) is next week, 来月 (raigetsu) is next month and 来年 (rainen) is next year.
What JLPT level is 来?
N5. 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 N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Actions
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 来
- 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.