権 means “right, power”

けん · ken

Also: authority, rights

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

おもり, かり, はかる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ケン, ゴン

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 6 · 15 strokes

The story

Wood (木), and in old Chinese the sliding weight on a merchant's steelyard: the piece that decides which way the beam tips. It came to mean power: 権利 is a right, and 選挙権, the vote, comes to Japanese citizens at 18.

Used in 権利 (kenri, right), 人権 (jinken, human rights), and 選挙権 (senkyoken, right to vote)

More from Law & Order

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• 守 protect
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• 殺 kill
• 責 responsibility
• 捕 catch
• 危 dangerous
• 険 steep
• 罪 crime
• 犯 offense

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