健 means “healthy, strong”

けん · ken

Also: health, strength, persistence

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

すこやか

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ケン

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 4 · 11 strokes

The story

A person (亻) who is well built (建): sturdy and strong. 健康 is health, 健闘 is putting up a good fight, and the 健康診断 is the yearly checkup Japanese employers must give their staff.

Used in 健康 (kenkou, health), 健闘 (kentou, good fight), and 保健 (hoken, health care)

More from Sickness & Cures

• 康 ease
• 傷 wound
• 診 examine (a patient)
• 看 watch over
• 症 symptom
• 剤 medicine
• 菌 germ
• 疫 epidemic
• 癒 heal
• 尿 urine
• 吐 vomit
• 痕 scar

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

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