110
英
English, Britain, Excellent
JLPT N4
Interesting Fact
Have you ever wondered why England is written with just one kanji: 英? In the 1800s, Japan borrowed Chinese-style translations for many foreign countries. England became 英国 (えいこく), literally "Britain Country." The character 英 was chosen because it represented the sound of "Eng-" in "England," but it also carried the positive meaning of "excellent" or "outstanding." That's why 英 still appears in words like 英語 (えいご), meaning "the English language."
Memory Trick
The top part is grass(艹). Under it stands a British Royal Guard wearing his tall bearskin hat. 💂 🌿 + 💂 = England / English
Readings
Onyomi: エイ (ei)
Kunyomi:
Example Words
英語
えいご (eigo)
English language
英会話
えいかいわ (eikaiwa)
English conversation
英文学
えいぶんがく (eibungaku)
English literature
英国
えいこく (eikoku)
United Kingdom
Example Sentence
私は 英語を 勉強しています。
わたしは えいごを べんきょうしています。
watashi wa eigo o benkyou shiteimasu
I am studying English.