台 means “stand, platform”

だい · dai

Also: pedestal, a stand, counter for machines and vehicles

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うてな, われ, つかさ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ダイ, タイ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 2 · 5 strokes

The story

A raised platform where things are set to work: the kitchen is 台所, "the place of the stand." It counts machines too: 車一台 one car, and it lends its name to the 台風, the typhoon.

Used in 台所 (daidokoro, kitchen), 台風 (taifuu, typhoon), and 一台 (ichidai, one machine/vehicle)

More from Town & Country

• 住 dwell
• 建 build
• 館 hall
• 林 grove
• 洋 ocean
• 京 capital
• 田 rice field
• 県 prefecture

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

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