L64. Daily Japanese Kanji — Day 64: 犬
Days 61-70
R-report
[Day 64] 犬 - dog
The character 犬 originally comes from a pictograph of a dog — long used in Chinese and Japanese to mean "dog". In modern Japanese it most commonly appears in everyday vocabulary for dogs, pet-related terms, and some compounds; it's frequent in beginner-level materials and daily conversation. Readings: On'yomi and Kun'yomi are both used. On'yomi (ケン) appears mostly inside compounds (e.g., 猟犬 りょうけん / ryouken — hunting dog). Kun'yomi (いぬ) is the everyday reading for the standalone word 犬 and many familiar words like 子犬 (こいぬ / koinu).
Readings
On'yomi: **ケン** (ken) Kun'yomi: **いぬ** (inu)
Related words
- 犬（いぬ / inu） — dog - 近所に大きな**犬**がいます。Kinjo ni ookina inu ga imasu. (There is a big dog in my neighborhood.)
- 子犬（こいぬ / koinu） — puppy - 公園で子**犬**を見ました。Kouen de koinu o mimashita. (I saw a puppy at the park.)
- 犬小屋（いぬごや / inugoya） — doghouse - その**犬**の犬小屋は古いです。Sono inu no inugoya wa furui desu. (That dog's doghouse is old.)
- 番犬（ばんけん / banken） — watchdog - 農場に大きな番**犬**がいます。Noujou ni ookina banken ga imasu. (There is a big watchdog on the farm.)
- 犬好き（いぬずき / inuzuki） — dog‑lover - 私の友達は**犬**好きです。Watashi no tomodachi wa inuzuki desu. (My friend loves dogs.)