Okurigana in Japanese Explained Simply

Okurigana are the kana that come after a kanji to show how a word is read and what form it takes. In other words, kanji do the heavy lifting, and okurigana do the cleanup. Quietly. Efficiently. Very Japanese.

If you have ever seen 食べる Taberu “to eat” and wondered why it is not just one lonely kanji, you have already met okurigana. They help beginners read Japanese more safely, and they help native speakers tell words apart when several kanji share the same reading. Sneaky little helpers, really.

You will also see okurigana in common words you meet early in study, from 高い Takai “expensive / high” to 新しい Atarashii “new.” They are not decoration. They are part of the word.

For a broader look at Japanese study paths, you can also check the Learn Japanese page. It is the kind of page that does not try too hard, which is rare and refreshing.

Table of Contents

What Okurigana Are

Okurigana 送り仮名 Okurigana means the kana written after kanji inside a word. They often show endings for verbs and adjectives.

Think of them as the part that tells you how the word behaves. The kanji gives the core meaning, and the okurigana tells you the grammar. Japanese likes teamwork, apparently.

Kanji + Kana	Rōmaji	Meaning
食べる	Taberu	to eat
高い	Takai	high; expensive
読んだ	Yonda	read; read it

Notice how the ending changes. That ending is doing real work. It is not there to be polite decoration for the kanji.

Why Japanese Uses Okurigana

To show grammar endings for verbs and adjectives
To make reading easier for learners and native readers
To help distinguish words with the same kanji reading
To show pronunciation changes clearly
To keep written Japanese more readable and less confusing

Japanese can be beautifully compact, but it also enjoys being a little ambiguous when given the chance. Okurigana reduce that chaos.

Okurigana In Common Verbs

Verbs are the easiest place to spot okurigana. The kanji often stays stable, while the ending changes for tense, politeness, or negation.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example	Rōmaji	English Translation
食べる	Taberu	to eat	パンを食べる。	Pan o taberu.	I eat bread.
見せる	Miseru	to show	写真を見せる。	Shashin o miseru.	I show a photo.
書く	Kaku	to write	手紙を書く。	Tegami o kaku.	I write a letter.
読む	Yomu	to read	本を読む。	Hon o yomu.	I read a book.
話す	Hanasu	to speak	日本語を話す。	Nihongo o hanasu.	I speak Japanese.
行く	Iku	to go	学校へ行く。	Gakkō e iku.	I go to school.
買う	Kau	to buy	本を買う。	Hon o kau.	I buy a book.
飲む	Nomu	to drink	水を飲む。	Mizu o nomu.	I drink water.

See the pattern? The ending after the kanji is not random. It is part of the verb form.

Okurigana In Common Adjectives

Many i-adjectives also use okurigana. The final -い i is a big clue. It tells you the word is an adjective, not just a noun in a fancy hat.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example	Rōmaji	English Translation
高い	Takai	high; expensive	この店は高い。	Kono mise wa takai.	This store is expensive.
新しい	Atarashii	new	新しい靴。	Atarashii kutsu.	New shoes.
安い	Yasui	cheap	この本は安い。	Kono hon wa yasui.	This book is cheap.
早い	Hayai	early; fast	朝は早い。	Asa wa hayai.	Mornings are early.
長い	Nagai	long	長い道。	Nagai michi.	A long road.
難しい	Muzukashii	difficult	日本語は難しい。	Nihongo wa muzukashii.	Japanese is difficult.

One small note: some Japanese words look simple until they are not. 早い Hayai can mean “early” or “fast,” and context decides which one you mean. Japanese does enjoy making learners earn their lunch.

How Okurigana Change With Grammar

Okurigana often change when you change tense or form. The kanji stays the same, but the ending shifts.

Base Form	Rōmaji	Changed Form	Rōmaji	Meaning
食べる	Taberu	食べた	Tabeta	ate
読む	Yomu	読んだ	Yonda	read
書く	Kaku	書いた	Kaita	wrote
高い	Takai	高かった	Takakatta	was expensive / was high
新しい	Atarashii	新しかった	Atarashikatta	was new

The ending changes because the grammar changes. The kanji does not need to repeat itself every time. Efficient. Slightly smug. Very Japanese.

Useful Okurigana Words And Phrases

Here are beginner-friendly words and phrases that show okurigana in action. These are the kind of forms you will keep seeing, so they are worth getting comfortable with early.

Kanji	Rōmaji	English Meaning	Example Sentence	Rōmaji	English Translation
開ける	Akeru	to open	ドアを開ける。	Doa o akeru.	I open the door.
閉める	Shimeru	to close	窓を閉める。	Mado o shimeru.	I close the window.
立つ	Tatsu	to stand	ここに立つ。	Koko ni tatsu.	I stand here.
座る	Suwaru	to sit	椅子に座る。	Isu ni suwaru.	I sit on the chair.
帰る	Kaeru	to go home; to return	家へ帰る。	Ie e kaeru.	I go home.
教える	Oshieru	to teach; to tell	先生が教える。	Sensei ga oshieru.	The teacher teaches.
覚える	Oboeru	to memorize; to remember	漢字を覚える。	Kanji o oboeru.	I memorize kanji.
疲れる	Tukareru	to get tired	今日は疲れる。	Kyou wa tsukareru.	Today I get tired.
見える	Mieru	to be visible; can be seen	山が見える。	Yama ga mieru.	I can see the mountain.
思う	Omou	to think	そう思う。	Sō omou.	I think so.
強い	Tsuyoi	strong	彼は強い。	Kare wa tsuyoi.	He is strong.
弱い	Yowai	weak	私は弱い。	Watashi wa yowai.	I am weak.
美しい	Utsukushii	beautiful	美しい花。	Utsukushii hana.	Beautiful flowers.
始める	Hajimeru	to begin	勉強を始める。	Benkyō o hajimeru.	I begin studying.
終わる	Owaru	to finish	仕事が終わる。	Shigoto ga owaru.	Work ends.

Common Confusions

Okurigana can feel tricky because the same kanji may appear in different words with different endings. That is normal. The point is to watch the full word, not just the kanji in isolation.

食べる Taberu and 食べた Tabeta are the same verb in different forms.
高い Takai can mean “high” or “expensive” depending on context.
開く Aku and 開ける Akeru are different verbs with related meanings.
Some words use kanji plus okurigana, while others are written mostly in kana.
You should not guess the whole meaning from the kanji alone every time. Japanese is less dramatic than that, but only slightly.

For a reading challenge, it helps to compare your kanji knowledge with level-based study lists like JLPT N5 Japanese Kanji, JLPT N4 Japanese Kanji, and JLPT N3 Japanese Kanji. Seeing okurigana in real kanji words is where things start clicking.

Rule Of Thumb For Beginners

Kanji gives the core meaning. Okurigana gives the grammar.

If you remember just that, you are already doing well. It is not a perfect rule for every single Japanese word in the universe, but it works for a lot of beginner reading.

Pattern	What It Usually Means	Example	Rōmaji	English
Kanji + る	Dictionary-form verb	食べる	Taberu	to eat
Kanji + い	i-adjective	高い	Takai	high; expensive
Kanji + た	past tense	食べた	Tabeta	ate
Kanji + かった	past adjective form	新しかった	Atarashikatta	was new

Practice: Spot The Okurigana

Try reading these words and notice which part is the kanji and which part is the okurigana. No pressure. Just gentle brain stretching.

食べる Taberu — to eat
食べた Tabeta — ate
高い Takai — expensive; high
高かった Takakatta — was expensive; was high
読む Yomu — to read
読んだ Yonda — read
新しい Atarashii — new
新しかった Atarashikatta — was new

Now try this one more time without looking at the meanings. Which part changes, and which part stays fixed? That little pattern is the whole game.

Quick Reference Summary

Okurigana are kana written after kanji inside a word.
They often show verb and adjective endings.
The kanji usually carries the main meaning.
The okurigana usually carries the grammar.
They help you read words more accurately.
They also help you tell similar words apart.

If you want to test your reading speed and word recognition next, the Japanese Placement Test JLPT and the Japanese Vocabulary Test are useful next stops. Not glamorous, but useful. Like okurigana itself.

Once you start noticing okurigana, Japanese words become less mysterious and a lot more readable. The kanji stops looking like a code puzzle, and the kana endings start telling you what the word is doing. That is the sweet spot for beginners: clearer reading, fewer wild guesses, and slightly less sighing at your study desk.