五: the kanji for five
五 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means five. Below are its readings, 13 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
五 is written in 4 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
五 has 3 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 11 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ゴ (go)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 五月ごがつ · gogatsu | May |
| 五時ごじ · goji | five o'clock |
| 五人ごにん · gonin | five people |
| 五回ごかい · gokai | five times |
| 五分ごふん · gofun | five minutes |
| 五百ごひゃく · gohyaku | five hundred |
| 五千ごせん · gosen | five thousand |
| 五十音ごじゅうおん · gojūon | the Japanese syllabary chart |
| 五輪ごりん · gorin | the Olympics |
いつ (itsu)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 五日いつか · itsuka | the 5th of the month; five days |
いつつ (itsutsu)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 五ついつつ · itsutsu | five (things) |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 五, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 五月雨さみだれ · samidare | early summer rain |
| 五月さつき · satsuki | Satsuki (the old name for the fifth month) |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 五時に仕事が終わります。Goji ni shigoto ga owarimasu.Work finishes at five.
- あと五分で着きます。Ato gofun de tsukimasu.I'll be there in five minutes.
- 五月五日は子どもの日です。Gogatsu itsuka wa Kodomo no Hi desu.May 5 is Children's Day.
- チームは五人です。Chīmu wa gonin desu.The team has five people.
- 五十音を覚えました。Gojūon o oboemashita.I've learned the Japanese syllabary.
- 休みは五日間です。Yasumi wa itsukakan desu.The holiday is five days long.
Questions about 五
How many strokes does 五 have?
五 is written in 4 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 五?
The on readings are go (ゴ). The kun readings are itsu (いつ), itsutsu (いつつ).
What is 五十音?
五十音 (gojūon) is the traditional chart that orders the hiragana and katakana sounds, starting with a, i, u, e and o.
What JLPT level is 五?
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
Numbers and money
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 五
- 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.