建 means “build”

たてる · tateru

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たてる, たて, たつ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ケン, コン

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 4 · 9 strokes

The story

A brush (聿) laying down the long stroke of a foundation: building as writing on the land. Japan's temple carpenters still raise 建物 in the old style, joinery as tight as calligraphy, without a single nail.

Used in 建物 (tatemono, building), 建てる (tateru, to build), and 二階建て (nikaidate, two-story)

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

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