Meaning
The kanji 宜 means appropriate, suitable, good, or fitting — the sense that something is exactly as it should be, properly ordered and in its right place. Most learners first encounter this character through the everyday expression 宜しく (yoroshiku). That single word carries enormous weight in Japanese social life: it marks first meetings, closes business emails, and signals that you are placing something in another person's hands.
Etymologically, 宜 is a compound ideograph built from two components. The upper part is 宀 (ukanmuri), the radical representing a roof or house. The lower part is a form related to 且, suggesting something arranged or laid out in order. Together, they evoke an image of things properly arranged beneath a sheltering roof — orderly, fitting, and in the right place. This domestic image of correct arrangement gave rise to the broader meaning of something being appropriate or suitable for the circumstances.
In classical Chinese texts, 宜 described what was proper and fitting for a given situation or person. That meaning carried over into Japanese unchanged. The kanji has 8 strokes and belongs to the Grade 8 (secondary school) category within Japan's Jōyō kanji system — introduced during middle or high school, not elementary. Its radical is 宀 (ukanmuri). The same roof appears in 家 (house), 室 (room), 安 (peace), and 守 (to protect), linking all of them to themes of shelter and the domestic sphere.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading is ギ (GI), used in formal compound words borrowed from classical Chinese. In practice, ギ appears almost exclusively in written Japanese — business documents, legal texts, official instructions. When 宜 forms part of a two-kanji compound in a formal context, this is the reading to reach for.
- 便宜 (bengi) — convenience, accommodation, a special favor or arrangement
- 適宜 (tekigi) — as appropriate, suitably, at one's own discretion
- 時宜 (jigi) — timeliness, the right moment, opportuneness
- 便宜上 (bengi jō) — for the sake of convenience, for practical purposes
The ギ reading covers a compact but important slice of formal vocabulary. Spot 宜 inside a compound and you can usually work out the meaning from context — convenience, timing, appropriateness. That pattern holds across most of the words above.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are よろ.しい (yoroshii) and its adverbial form よろ.しく (yoroshiku). These are the readings most Japanese people use every day. Both convey approval, polite acceptance, and goodwill toward another person.
- 宜しい (yoroshii) — good, alright, acceptable, fine (a polite form of いい)
- 宜しく (yoroshiku) — best regards, please, kindly (a broad expression of goodwill)
- 宜しければ (yoroshikereba) — if it is alright with you, if you do not mind
宜しくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu) is one of the most useful phrases you will learn in Japanese. It works when meeting someone for the first time, closing a business meeting, signing off a formal email, or whenever you are entrusting something to another person. Getting comfortable with よろしく — knowing when it means "nice to meet you," when it means "please handle this," and when it means "I'm counting on you" — is one of the more satisfying breakthroughs in early Japanese study.
Common Words & Compounds
The following words all feature the kanji 宜, grouped by usage context.
Everyday Social Expressions:
- 宜しい (yoroshii) — good, alright, acceptable (polite equivalent of いい)
- 宜しく (yoroshiku) — best regards; please (a request for favorable treatment)
- 宜しければ (yoroshikereba) — if it is alright with you, if you do not mind
- 宜しくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu) — please take care of me, I am in your hands
- 何卒宜しく (nanitozo yoroshiku) — I sincerely ask for your kind consideration (very formal)
Formal Written Vocabulary:
- 便宜 (bengi) — convenience, special accommodation, a favor
- 適宜 (tekigi) — as appropriate, at one's discretion, suitably
- 時宜 (jigi) — timeliness, the right moment for something
- 便宜上 (bengi jō) — for the sake of convenience, for practical reasons
- 便宜を図る (bengi wo hakaru) — to accommodate someone, to make special arrangements
Example Sentences
初めまして、宜しくお願いします。
Hajimemashite, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Nice to meet you. I look forward to our relationship.
適宜休憩を取ってください。
Tekigi kyūkei wo totte kudasai.
Please take breaks as you see fit.
宜しければ、一緒に食事しませんか。
Yoroshikereba, issho ni shokuji shimasen ka.
If you do not mind, shall we have a meal together?
便宜上、英語で説明します。
Bengi jō, eigo de setsumei shimasu.
For the sake of convenience, I will explain in English.
部長に宜しくお伝えください。
Buchō ni yoroshiku otsutae kudasai.
Please give my best regards to the department manager.
この件について便宜を図っていただけますか。
Kono ken ni tsuite bengi wo hakatte itadakemasu ka.
Could you make a special accommodation for us regarding this matter?
適宜判断して対応してください。
Tekigi handan shite taiō shite kudasai.
Please use your own judgment and respond as appropriate.
時宜を得た提案で、全員が賛成した。
Jigi wo eta teian de, zen'in ga sansei shita.
It was a timely proposal, and everyone agreed to it.
何卒宜しくお願い申し上げます。
Nanitozo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu.
I humbly and sincerely ask for your continued kind support.
Memory Tip
Picture a Japanese home with a roof (宀) overhead. Inside, every item is neatly arranged in its proper place — cushions aligned, tea set laid out, slippers waiting by the door. Everything is just as it should be. That sense of quiet, harmonious order is the core of 宜: appropriate, fitting, just right.
When you bow and say 宜しく, you are wishing that your relationship with the other person will have that same quality — well-ordered, comfortable, nothing out of place. Every time you spot the roof radical 宀 sitting above the lower component, let it remind you: under this roof, things are properly arranged.