166
以
By Means Of, Since, Beyond
JLPT N4
Interesting Fact
The kanji 以 is extremely common in formal Japanese. You'll often see words like 以上 (ijou, 'more than') and 以前 (izen, 'before'), especially in signs, announcements, and business documents.
Memory Trick
Imagine a line drawn on the ground. Everything beyond that line is 'more than' or 'beyond,' helping you remember 以.
Readings
Onyomi: イ (i)
Kunyomi:
Example Words
以上
いじょう (ijou)
More than, above
以前
いぜん (izen)
Before
以外
いがい (igai)
Except
以内
いない (inai)
Within
Example Sentence
十八歳 以上の 人だけです。
じゅうはっさい いじょうの ひとだけです。
juuhassai ijou no hito dake desu
Only people aged 18 or older.