Onyomi: エキ, ヤク · Kunyomi: - · Meanings: campaign, drafted labor, duty, office, role, service, war
Kanji for campaign, drafted labor, duty, office, role
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 役.
役 is made from 彳, meaning “to walk” or “to go,” and 殳, meaning “to act” or “to strike.” It shows someone going out and performing a task. From this idea of assigned action or duty, 役 came to mean role, duty, or service.
You go out and perform your assigned task. That duty or role is 役.
Think of walking out to do a job. That responsibility is 役.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 役 | やく | role, assignment, responsibility, duty, function, job, service | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 役 | えき | war, campaign, battle | JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 役割 | やくわり | part, assigning (allotment of) parts, role, duties | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 役所 | やくしょ | government office, public office | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 役に立つ | やくにたつ | to be helpful, to be useful | common JLPT-N4 Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.), Godan verb with 'tsu' ending |
| 役人 | やくにん | government official | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 役者 | やくしゃ | actor, actress | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 役目 | やくめ | duty, role, function | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 役職 | やくしょく | post, official position | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 役立つ | やくだつ | to be useful, to be helpful, to serve the purpose | common JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'tsu' ending, Intransitive verb |