絵 means “picture, drawing”

え · e

Also: painting, sketch

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カイ, エ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 2 · 12 strokes

The story

Colored threads (糸) meeting (会) on silk: picture a scene stitched in embroidery. 絵 is a picture: 絵本 is a picture book, and 絵文字, picture characters, gave the world the word emoji.

Used in 絵本 (ehon, picture book), 絵文字 (emoji, emoji), and 似顔絵 (nigaoe, portrait sketch)

More from Days at Home

• 遊 play
• 畑 field
• 泳 swim
• 煙 smoke
• 靴 shoes
• 番 turn
• 宅 home
• 景 scenery
• 候 climate
• 舞 dance
• 居 be

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

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