祈: the kanji for pray
祈 is a JLPT N2 kanji that means pray. Below are its readings, 4 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
祈 is written in 8 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
祈 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 4 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
キ (ki)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 祈願きがん · kigan | prayer; wish |
| 祈念きねん · kinen | prayer (formal) |
いのる (inoru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 祈るいのる · inoru | to pray; to wish |
| 祈りいのり · inori | prayer |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 試験の合格を神社で祈った。Shiken no gōkaku o jinja de inotta.I prayed at a shrine that I would pass the exam.
- 皆様のご健康をお祈りしております。Minasama no gokenkō o oinori shite orimasu.We wish you all good health.
- お正月に家族で合格祈願に行った。Oshōgatsu ni kazoku de gōkaku kigan ni itta.At New Year, my family went to pray for success in exams.
- 平和を祈念する式典が行われた。Heiwa o kinen suru shikiten ga okonawareta.A ceremony was held to pray for peace.
- 人々は静かに祈りをささげた。Hitobito wa shizuka ni inori o sasageta.The people offered a quiet prayer.
Questions about 祈
How many strokes does 祈 have?
祈 is written in 8 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 祈?
The on readings are ki (キ). The kun readings are inoru (いのる).
What JLPT level is 祈?
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
Study, language and culture
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 祈
- 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.