基 — base / foundation

Grade 5き, もと

Radical ⼟ · radical 32 The building block this kanji is filed under

基 (readings: き, もと; Japanese kanji) means “base / foundation”. It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 基本 (basics).

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What does 基 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	基
Meaning	base / foundation
Readings	き, もと
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	基本 (basics)

How to read 基

基 is read き or もと depending on the word.

Words with 基

基本cơ bản
基盤nền tảng
基礎nền tảng

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Updated: 2026-08-09