閣 means “cabinet, pavilion”

かく · kaku

Also: tower, tall building, palace

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カク

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 14 strokes

The story

A gate (門) with 各, each, inside: picture every visitor halted at a palace gate. 閣 is a stately building and the inner circle that meets there: 内閣 is the Cabinet, 閣僚 its ministers, and Kyoto's 金閣寺 is the Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

Used in 内閣 (naikaku, the Cabinet), 閣僚 (kakuryou, cabinet minister), and 金閣寺 (kinkakuji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion)

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.