実 means “reality, truth, fruit”

じつ · jitsu

Also: seed

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

み, みのる, まこと, みの, みちる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジツ, シツ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 3 · 8 strokes

The story

Under a roof (宀), a storeroom heaped with harvest: picture something you can actually touch. 実は, "actually", opens many a confession, 現実 is reality, and a proverb says the more the rice ripens (実る), the lower it bows its head.

Used in 実は (jitsu wa, actually), 現実 (genjitsu, reality), and 実験 (jikken, experiment)

More from Thinking & Knowing

• 解 solve
• 信 trust
• 確 certain
• 能 ability
• 疑 doubt
• 術 technique
• 想 idea
• 念 thought
• 察 observe
• 識 know
• 覚 remember
• 忘 forget

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