企 means “plan, undertake”

き · ki

Also: scheme, design, attempt

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

くわだてる, たくらむ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 6 strokes

The story

A person (人) above a foot (止): someone up on tiptoe, which is what 企 once meant, straining to see what lies ahead. That forward look made it planning: 企画 is a project, 企業 a company, and 企てる to plot.

Used in 企業 (kigyou, company/enterprise), 企画 (kikaku, project/planning), and 企てる (kuwadateru, to plan/plot)

More from Plans & Leadership

• 施 carry out
• 監 oversee
• 推 push forward
• 督 supervise
• 催 host
• 司 administer
• 執 grasp
• 措 measure
• 揮 wield
• 操 operate
• 託 entrust
• 宰 preside

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

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