Kanji Kaisen

漢字Kanji · in Nature & Elements

従: accompany, obey

Also: submit to, comply, follow, secondary, incidental, subordinate

JLPT N110 strokesGrade 6Your ink: 白 Not met

彳 carries the meaning · 疋 is drawn in

10 strokes

Four readings, and the words that use each

ジュウjuu · on'yomi · in compounds

  • 従来じゅうらいup to now, so far, traditional
  • 従業員じゅうぎょういんemployee, worker
  • 従順なじゅうじゅんなobedient, gentle, meek
  • 従事するじゅうじするengage in, pursue (a profession)
  • 従属するじゅうぞくするbe subordinate to
  • 従軍するじゅうぐんするjoin the army, go to the front
  • 追従するついじゅうするflatter
  • 服従するふくじゅうするobey, submit

ショウshou · on'yomi

  • 追従ついしょうflattery, servile behavior

したがうshitagau · kun'yomi · on its own

  • 従うしたがうobey, follow, abide [v.i.]

したがえるshitagaeru · kun'yomi

  • 従えるしたがえるconquer [v.t.]

Special readingsThese words are read as a whole, not from the readings above.

  • 従三位）（じゅさんみsecondary (the third rank)

Also read ジュ, より, with no example words in our sources. Words: Kanji alive, CC BY 4.0.

Learn it 4 steps
Print sheet Present
成り立ち

Where it comes from

Origin · sourced

Phono-semantic compound (形聲)辵 walk (meaning) + 从 follow (sound)

Originally written as 从. Now phono-semantic compound (形聲): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 从 (“follow”).

Source: Wiktionary, 從 (rev. 93505297), CC BY-SA 4.0

Memory story · made up to help you remember

“Take the first step on your journey! These three quick strokes show the left side of a bustling street or a person taking a brisk step forward.”
More in the 彳 step story
繋がり
Ink shades, lightest to darkest: 白 Not met, 淡 Met, 中 Learning, 濃 Familiar, 印 Mastered
彳

Also built on step (彳)

All 19
疋

Also built on bolt of cloth (疋)

All 5

従 gives its sound to

The family reading is ジュウ (juu). Sound parts: KanjiVG.

Also read ジュウ

11 kanji share this on'yomi

Also read ショウ

90 kanji share this on'yomiAll 90

Also read ジュ

12 kanji share this on'yomi

Easy to confuse

The difference, side by side
従 accompany · 彳
vs定 determine · 宀
従 has 彳 where 定 has 宀.
In ChineseSimplified 从 · traditional 從 · cóng

Three different forms: Japanese 従, simplified 从, traditional 從.

Simplified
从 mainland China, Singapore
Traditional
從 Taiwan, Hong Kong

Pinyin cóng most common reading

Forms and pinyin: Unicode Unihan database (Unicode License v3). Pinyin lists the most common reading, not every reading.

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