恋: the kanji for love; romance
恋 is a JLPT N2 kanji that means love; romance. Below are its readings, 7 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
恋 is written in 10 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
恋 has 4 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 7 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
レン (ren)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 恋愛れんあい · ren'ai | romantic love |
| 失恋しつれん · shitsuren | broken heart |
こう (kou)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 恋うこう · kou | to long for (literary) |
こい (koi)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 恋こい · koi | love; romance |
| 初恋はつこい · hatsukoi | first love |
| 恋人こいびと · koibito | boyfriend; girlfriend |
こいしい (koishii)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 恋しいこいしい · koishii | to miss; to long for |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 初恋の人に偶然会った。Hatsukoi no hito ni gūzen atta.I ran into my first love by chance.
- 海外に住んでいると日本の食べ物が恋しくなる。Kaigai ni sunde iru to Nihon no tabemono ga koishiku naru.When I live abroad, I miss Japanese food.
- 彼女には恋人がいるそうだ。Kanojo ni wa koibito ga iru sō da.I hear she has a boyfriend.
- この映画は恋愛がテーマだ。Kono eiga wa ren'ai ga tēma da.This movie is about romance.
- 失恋して元気がない。Shitsuren shite genki ga nai.I am feeling down after a breakup.
Questions about 恋
How many strokes does 恋 have?
恋 is written in 10 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 恋?
The on readings are ren (レン). The kun readings are kou (こう), koi (こい), koishii (こいしい).
What JLPT level is 恋?
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
Feelings and emotions
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 恋
- 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.