長 – JLPT N5 Kanji, Kanji for leader, long, senior, superior (With 3D Visualization)
Kanji for leader, long, senior, superior
Fast lookup with examples and clean stroke-order visualization.
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長
- Meanings
- leader, long, senior, superior
- Onyomi
- チョウ
- Kunyomi
- おさ, なが.い
- Name Readings
- お, おしゃ, たかし, たけ, な, は, ひさ
- JLPT
- N5
- Grade
- 2
- Frequency
- -
- Kanji Writing Practice
- Practice
Stroke Order
Story
The kanji 長 originally depicted a person with long hair tied at the back of the head. In ancient times, long hair was a sign of age, dignity, and wisdom — qualities of a leader or elder. Over time, this image came to represent not just physical length but also the idea of someone who stands above others in experience or position. Thus, 長 evolved to mean “long,” “senior,” and “leader.” It carries the sense of something extended — in time, distance, or authority.
Short Story
Originally showing a person with long, flowing hair — a mark of age and respect. 長 expresses both the idea of physical length and the role of one who is senior or in charge.
Mnemonic
This kanji declares: the one with long hair stands above — 長 means long in form and great in rank, the sign of a leader whose wisdom and time have grown.
Vocabulary Examples
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 丈 | たけ | height, stature | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 長 | ちょう | head, chief, leader, elder | common Noun |
| 長 | おさ | head, chief, leader | JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 長 | なが | long | Prefix, Suffix |
| 官 | つかさ | office, official | Noun |
| 長い | ながい | long (distance, length) | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N5 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 長方形 | ちょうほうけい | rectangle, oblong | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 永久 | えいきゅう | eternity, permanence, perpetuity | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 長期 | ちょうき | long-term | common JLPT-N3 Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 長所 | ちょうしょ | strong point, merit, virtue, advantage | common JLPT-N2 Noun |