工: the kanji for craft and construction
工 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means craft, construction. Below are its readings, 11 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
工 is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
工 has 2 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).
コウ (kou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 工場こうじょう · kōjō | factory |
| 工事こうじ · kōji | construction work |
| 工業こうぎょう · kōgyō | manufacturing industry |
| 人工じんこう · jinkō | artificial |
| 加工かこう · kakō | processing |
| 工学こうがく · kōgaku | engineering |
| 着工ちゃっこう · chakkō | start of construction |
ク (ku)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 工夫くふう · kufū | ingenuity; a clever idea |
| 大工だいく · daiku | carpenter |
| 細工さいく · saiku | craftwork |
| 工面くめん · kumen | raising (money) |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 来月、工場を見学します。Raigetsu, kōjō o kengaku shimasu.We'll tour the factory next month.
- 駅前で工事をしています。Ekimae de kōji o shite imasu.There's construction work in front of the station.
- 人工知能を使ったサービスです。Jinkō chinō o tsukatta sābisu desu.It's a service that uses artificial intelligence.
- もう少し工夫が必要です。Mō sukoshi kufū ga hitsuyō desu.It needs a little more thought.
- 大学で工学を勉強しました。Daigaku de kōgaku o benkyō shimashita.I studied engineering in college.
- 父は大工の仕事をしています。Chichi wa daiku no shigoto o shite imasu.My father works as a carpenter.
Questions about 工
How many strokes does 工 have?
工 is written in 3 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 工?
The on readings are kou (コウ), ku (ク). 工 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
What does 工夫 mean?
工夫 (kufū) means finding a clever way to do something better. 工夫してください (kufū shite kudasai) is a common request at work, asking you to think of a better approach.
What JLPT level is 工?
N4. 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 N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
Work 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 工
- 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.