械 means “machine, device”

かい · kai

Also: contraption, fetter, instrument

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

かせ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カイ

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 4 · 11 strokes

The story

Wood (木) beside 戒, hands (廾) gripping a halberd (戈): 械 first meant wooden shackles, then any contraption. Today it lives in 機械, machine, which sounds just like 機会, chance: both are kikai.

Used in 機械 (kikai, machine), 機械化 (kikaika, mechanization), and 器械体操 (kikaitaisou, apparatus gymnastics)

More from Wood, Cloth & Tools

• 棒 stick
• 灯 lamp
• 筒 tube
• 帽 hat
• 舟 boat
• 貝 shellfish
• 型 mold
• 材 material
• 装 attire
• 輪 ring
• 帯 sash
• 板 board

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

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