行 (Go) - Meaning and history | Japanese Kanji

The kanji 行 has several meanings: to go, to proceed, to carry out as a verbs, but it also indicates the line, the row, the bank.

行 is also one of the most common and used kanji in the Japanese language.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of 行, its origin, and how it is used through real example sentences.

Origin of the kanji 行

The kanji 行, which is also a radical, is composed of the element:

• 彳 which means linger, stand still, go and also contains kanji and radical 亻 (人) man, person. The idea is therefore of the person going, moving forward.

What does 行 kanji mean

The kanji refers to the verb of motion to go in all its forms, but it also gets the meaning of to proceed, to happen when referring to an event.

We find 行 in many words and it takes for example the meanings of:

• 行(ぎょう)事(じ) event, important holiday; クリスマス, Christmas is a 行(ぎょう)事(じ)

• 銀(ぎん)行(こう) bank

• 二(に)行(ぎょう)目(め) line, row, towards: the second line

Kanji readings 行

Let's now see the various On and Kun readings that the kanji 行 assumes.

Kun readings of the kanji 行 🇯🇵

い

This reading refers to the verb to go in its dictionary form: 行(い)く.

ゆ

It has the same use as い:

行(ゆく)方(え) is the address in the sense of where to find the person. In news articles we often read: 行(ゆく)方(え)不(ふ)明(めい) missing, missing person.

- ゆ.き

ゆき is the base in い of the verb ゆく and is combined with a noun to form new words.

• 行(ゆ)き 先(さき) means goal, destination and we can explain the term with a Japanese sentence.

• 行(ゆ)き先(さき) also reads いきさき and ゆくさき

- い.き

As for ゆき this is the base in い of the verb いく, some examples:

• 行(い)き 方(かた) the path,how to get to ...

おこな.う

It is a verb that means to do, to realize and also take place, happen: 行(おこな)う.

おこない

This term is the noun of おこなう and means action, act, conduct, behavior:

• 良(よ)い 行(おこな)い a good behavior

• 悪(わる)い 行(おこな)い a misconduct

On readings of the kanji 行 🇨🇳

こう

• 行(こう)動(どう) action, act, behavior, activity; 行(こう)動(どう)心(しん)理(り)学(がく) is behavioral psychology

• 発(はっ)行(こう) publication, output, issue

• 旅(りょ)行(こう)する travel

• 旅(りょ)行(こう)代(だい)理(り)店(てん) the travel agency

ぎょう

• 行(ぎょう)儀(ぎ) manner, behavior;

• 行(ぎょう)儀(ぎ)の良(い)い is an adjective and means polite

• 行(ぎょう)儀(ぎ)の悪(わる)い is its opposite rude

• 修(しゅ)行(ぎょう) ascetic practice, training, exercise

あん

It is a more rare reading than the others, but it is found in some words like:

• 行(あん)火(か) the foot warmer, like the Japanese kotatsu

• 行(あん)燈(どん) is the lamp with the paper shade

• 行(あん)脚(ぎゃ) represents the journey as a pilgrimage

Other examples of the kanji 行

• 行(ぎょう)政(せい) is another useful term of everyday use and indicates the public administration

• 行(ぎょう)政(せい)機(き)関(かん) is an administrative body, institutional

• 行(ぎょう)政(せい)法(ほう) is the administrative law