Kanji 絵

音読おんよみ: カイ・エ

訓読くんよみ: none*

画数かくすう: 12 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 糸(いとへん)

Meaning

Picture / painting / drawing / illustration

  • 絵本えほん — picture book
  • 絵画かいが — painting / artwork
  • 油絵あぶらえ — oil painting
  • 水彩画すいさいが — watercolor painting
  • 下絵したえ — underdrawing / preliminary sketch

絵 combines 糸 (thread) and 会 (meeting/society). Originally, it referred to decorative fabrics or colorful illustrations. Over time, it came to mean “picture” or “drawing.” This kanji appears frequently in educational materials and children's books.

このはとてもきれいです。
This picture is very beautiful.

子供達こどもたち絵本えほんを読んでいます。
The children are reading picture books.

画
Creates
絵画かいが — painting / artwork
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