存 means “exist, keep, know”

ぞん · zon

Also: suppose, be aware of, believe

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ながらえる, ある, たもつ, とう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソン, ゾン

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 6 · 6 strokes

The story

A child (子) under the same slanted sprout (才) as 在: life that carries on. 存在 is existence, 保存 is "save" on every Japanese screen, and ご存じですか is the polite way to ask "do you know?"

Used in 存在 (sonzai, existence), 保存 (hozon, saving/preservation), and ご存じ (gozonji, knowing, honorific)

More from Spirit & Being

• 精 refined
• 絶 cut off
• 願 wish
• 現 appear
• 在 be located
• 容 contain
• 状 condition
• 神 god
• 福 fortune

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

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