蔵

音読おんよみ: ゾウ

訓読くんよみ: くら

画数かくすう: 15 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 艸(くさかんむり / grass radical)

Meaning

Storehouse or warehouse — a place to safely store things. Used in both physical and metaphorical contexts.


  • 倉庫そうこ — Warehouse
  • 冷蔵庫れいぞうこ — Refrigerator
  • 土蔵どぞう — Earthen storehouse
  • 宝蔵ほうぞう — Treasure store
  • 蔵書ぞうしょ — Book collection

The top part (艹) indicates “grass” or plants, but here it functions phonetically. The full character represents a place where items are safely stored and hidden. Historically used for storing rice, treasure, or important goods.

Also appears in words related to mental or spiritual “storage” such as 蔵念 (stored thoughts).

このくらには むかし道具どうぐはいっています。
This storehouse contains old tools.

冷蔵庫れいぞうこ野菜やさいれました。
I put vegetables in the refrigerator.

The on-yomi ゾウ is used in compound nouns (like 倉庫, 冷蔵庫), while the kun-yomi くら refers to traditional storage buildings.

Radicals Full List Spin 9