従 means “follow, obey”

したがう · shitagau

Also: accompany, submit to, comply

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

したがう, したがえる, より

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジュウ, ショウ, ジュ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 10 strokes

The story

A step (彳) beside a moving foot: in the old form 從, two people (从) walk one behind the other. 従う is to follow or obey, 従業員 are a company's employees, and 従来 means the way it has always been done.

Used in 従う (shitagau, to follow/obey), 従業員 (juugyouin, employee), and 従来 (juurai, conventional/until now)

More from Apart & Together

• 伴 accompany
• 属 belong
• 併 combine
• 兼 double as
• 孤 solitary
• 唯 only
• 遇 meet
• 隔 separate
• 随 follow along
• 添 add
• 疎 sparse
• 媒 medium

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

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