117.元


1. Meaning and Reading

  • origin, source, base
  • Onyomi : げん, がん
  • Kunyomi : もと

2. Kanji Explanation

  • 二 : heaven and earth
  • 儿 : legs

The two horizontal lines (二) represent heaven and earth, the foundations of the world, and the two legs (儿) represent the foundation of a person — symbolizing ‘origin’ and ‘beginning’.

kanji illustration

3. Example Words

元気 げんき
energy, health

He is very energetic.

元旦 がんたん
New Year's morning

I go for the first shrine visit on New Year's morning.

地元 じもと
hometown, local area

I meet my hometown friends.

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