夢 means “dream”

ゆめ · yume

Also: vision, illusion

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ゆめ, ゆめみる, くらい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ム, ボウ

Taught in grade 5 · 13 strokes

The story

A complex kanji for a complex experience: Japanese dreams are whispered at the border of sleep and waking.

Used both for sleeping dreams and life aspirations

Its parts

• 艹 Grass/plants · Top
• 罒 Net/eyes · Center-top
• 冖 Cover · Center
• 夕 Evening · Bottom

Visions (罒) that come in the covered (冖) evening (夕): dreams

Example sentences

• 昨日、面白い夢を見ました。 Yesterday, I had an interesting dream.
• 私の夢は医者になることです。 My dream is to become a doctor.

Kanji that look like 夢

• 霧 (fog / mist): 霧 has 雨 on top (rain → mist), 夢 has 艹 and 目; dreams come from the eyes

More from People & Life

• 和 peace
• 母 mother
• 父 father
• 兄 older brother
• 姉 older sister
• 嫌 hate
• 喜 joy
• 人 person
• 心 heart
• 愛 love
• 友 friend
• 生 life

Learn 夢 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

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