Onyomi: テキ · Kunyomi: かな.う · Meanings: capable, occasional, qualified, rare, suitable
Kanji for capable, occasional, qualified, rare, suitable
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The kanji 適 is made of the movement radical 辶, meaning a path, journey, or going somewhere, combined with the element 啇 (pronounced てき), which originally showed a tall building or structure used for selecting or judging things. In ancient writing, 啇 carried the idea of choosing what is right or proper. When paired with the walking/path radical, the combined image became “moving toward what is correct,” or “going in a fitting direction.” Over time, this idea evolved into meanings such as “appropriate,” “suitable,” “proper,” and even “to match.” 適 shows the journey toward the right choice or the right place.
適 mixes the path radical 辶 with the judging/choosing element 啇, expressing the idea of moving toward what is suitable or correct — something fitting or appropriate.
Imagine walking along a path (辶) until you reach the place that feels just right (啇). When the direction perfectly matches your needs, that’s 適 — the fitting, appropriate choice.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 偶々 | たまたま | by chance, by accident, accidentally, happen to (be, do), unexpectedly, casually | common JLPT-N3 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 偶 | たま | occasional, infrequent, rare | Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 適当 | てきとう | suitable, proper, appropriate, adequate, fit, fair | common JLPT-N4 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 偶に | たまに | occasionally, once in a while, now and then | common JLPT-N4 JLPT-N1 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 適切 | てきせつ | appropriate, suitable, fitting, apt, proper, right, pertinent, relevant | common JLPT-N3 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 適用 | てきよう | application (of a rule, law, method, etc.) | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 適度 | てきど | moderate (degree), proper (amount), temperate, suitable | common JLPT-N3 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 適する | てきする | to fit, to suit | common JLPT-N3 Suru verb - special class, Intransitive verb |
| 的確 | てきかく | accurate, precise, exact, appropriate, apt, right | common JLPT-N2 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 適応 | てきおう | adaptation, accommodation, conformity | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |