興

音読おんよみ: コウ・キョウ

訓読くんよみ: おこる・おこす

画数かくすう: 16 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 臼(うす)

Meaning

Interest, entertainment, prosper, rise — often used in words about activities, revival, or excitement.


  • 復興ふっこう — reconstruction, revival
  • 興味きょうみ — interest
  • 興奮こうふん — excitement
  • 新興しんこう — rising, emerging
  • 興業こうぎょう — performance, entertainment business

The character 興 combines two drum-beating hands over a mortar (臼), suggesting raising something or reviving an action. It’s used for excitement, flourishing, and bringing things back to life.

日本にほん戦後せんご急速きゅうそく復興ふっこうした。
Japan rapidly recovered after the war.

歴史れきし興味きょうみがあります。
I’m interested in history.

The on-yomi コウ and キョウ appear in compound words like 復興 (ふっこう) and 興味 (きょうみ). The kun-yomi おこる and おこす are less common but still appear in literary contexts.

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