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’.
3. Example Words
元気
げんき
energy, health
彼はとても元気だ。
He is very energetic.
元旦
がんたん
New Year's morning
元旦に初詣に行く。
I go for the first shrine visit on New Year's morning.
地元
じもと
hometown, local area
地元の友達に会う。
I meet my hometown friends.