寛

13 strokes

寛 — Tolerant, Generous, Lenient

On: カン

Kun: ひろ.い、くつろ.ぐ、ゆた.か

Meaning

寛 operates on two levels: physical space and human character. Physically, it points to breadth and openness — a room with room to breathe. Applied to a person, it describes someone who forgives readily, withholds judgment, and doesn't tighten up when others fall short. As an atmosphere, it evokes ease and freedom from pressure.

The character descends from the traditional Chinese 寬. At the top sits the radical 宀 (ukanmuri, a roof), with a component linked to breadth below it. Think of a wide-roofed house — spacious rooms, guests welcomed freely, residents moving without restriction. That image of generous physical space became a metaphor for character. A person with 寛 holds opposing views, absorbs others' mistakes, and stays steady. Wide roof, wide heart.

With 13 strokes, 寛 is a secondary-level Joyo kanji (常用漢字), typically taught at junior high school in Japan. Its radical 宀 (roof) links it to 家 (house), 安 (peace), and 宮 (palace) — all characters built around shelter. At JLPT N1, 寛 shows up in formal writing, classical literature, medical texts, and philosophy, where tolerance and magnanimity are recurring themes.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The sole on'yomi is カン (kan), drawn from classical Chinese. It lives mainly in written Japanese — formal essays, news articles, medical reports, historical texts. Spoken Japanese rarely uses it alone; the compounds below are where it does its work.

寛大かんだい (kandai) — magnanimous, lenient, generous in spirit; describes a person or act that forgives faults with an open heart
寛容かんよう (kanyō) — tolerance, forbearance; the quality of accepting differences in others without condemnation or hostility
寛解かんかい (kankai) — remission (medical term); the partial or complete disappearance of the symptoms of a chronic disease

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

Native Japanese attached three kun'yomi to 寛, each drawing out a different shade of the kanji's meaning.

ひろ.い (hiroi) — Spacious in spirit as well as dimension. Where 広い usually refers to measurable size (a wide road, a big room), 寛い tilts toward moral breadth: the quality of a person whose heart doesn't close under pressure.

寛ひろい心こころ (hiroi kokoro) — a generous, open heart; a spirit that readily accepts and forgives others

くつろ.ぐ (kutsurogu) — To relax, unwind, feel at ease. The link to 寛 is direct: wide, open spaces invite you to let your guard down. Step inside, set your bags down, stop bracing.

家いえで寛くつろぐ (ie de kutsurogu) — to relax at home, to unwind in one's own space
寛くつろいだ雰囲気ふんいき (kutsuroida fun'iki) — a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere

ゆた.か (yutaka) — Rich, abundant, generously full. In literary contexts, 寛やかな心 suggests an inner life that isn't cramped or anxious — something roomy and unhurried at its core.

寛ゆたかな心こころ (yutaka na kokoro) — a rich, generous spirit; an abundant inner life

Common Words & Compounds

寛 appears across formal and literary Japanese in several important compounds. The most useful at N1:

Tolerance, Generosity, and Moral Character:

寛大かんだい (kandai) — magnanimous, lenient, generous in spirit; used to praise someone who forgives readily and does not hold grudges
寛容かんよう (kanyō) — tolerance, forbearance, acceptance of differences; a key value in multicultural and pluralistic discourse
寛仁かんじん (kanjin) — generous benevolence; gracious, kind-hearted generosity associated with rulers and leaders
寛恕かんじょ (kanjo) — pardon, forgiveness; the deliberate act of releasing resentment and granting absolution
寛厳かんげん (kangen) — the balance between leniency and strictness; used in discussions of governance, education, and discipline

Relaxation, Ease, and Space:

寛くつろぎ (kutsurogi) — relaxation, ease; the state of comfortable, unhurried rest
寛緩かんかん (kankan) — loose, slack, not tightly constrained; used to describe regulations, clothing, or attitudes that are not rigid

Medical Terminology:

寛解かんかい (kankai) — remission; a period during which symptoms decrease significantly or disappear entirely
完全寛解かんぜんかんかい (kanzen kankai) — complete remission; full disappearance of detectable disease symptoms

Historical Era Names:

寛政かんせい (Kansei) — the Kansei era (1789–1801), meaning "era of generous, enlightened governance"; associated with Matsudaira Sadanobu's reforms
寛永かんえい (Kan'ei) — the Kan'ei era (1624–1644), a period of cultural flourishing in early Edo-period Japan

Example Sentences

彼かれは寛大かんだいな心こころで、部下ぶかの失敗しっぱいを許ゆるした。

Kare wa kandai na kokoro de, buka no shippai wo yurushita.

With a magnanimous heart, he forgave his subordinate's mistake.

異ことなる文化ぶんかに対たいして寛容かんようであることが大切たいせつだ。

Kotonaru bunka ni taishite kanyō de aru koto ga taisetsu da.

It is important to be tolerant toward different cultures.

仕事しごとの後あと、自宅じたくで寛くつろぐ時間じかんが一番いちばん好すきだ。

Shigoto no ato, jitaku de kutsurogu jikan ga ichiban suki da.

After work, the time I spend relaxing at home is my favorite.

患者かんじゃの病気びょうきが寛解かんかいし、担当たんとう医師いしは安堵あんどした。

Kanja no byōki ga kankai shi, tantō ishi wa ando shita.

The patient's illness went into remission, and the attending physician was greatly relieved.

先生せんせいは厳きびしいが、寛大かんだいさも持もち合あわせている。

Sensei wa kibishii ga, kandai-sa mo mochi awasete iru.

The teacher is strict, yet also possesses a generous and forgiving side.

社会しゃかいは少数派しょうすうはの意見いけんに対たいして、もっと寛容かんようになるべきだ。

Shakai wa shōsūha no iken ni taishite, motto kanyō ni naru beki da.

Society should be more tolerant toward the opinions of minority groups.

彼女かのじょの寛ひろい心こころが、多おおくの人ひとを引ひき付つける。

Kanojo no hiroi kokoro ga, ōku no hito wo hikitsukeru.

Her generous, open heart attracts many people to her.

寛恕かんじょの精神せいしんを持もって接せっすることが、和解わかいへの第一歩だいいっぽだ。

Kanjo no seishin wo motte sessuru koto ga, wakai e no daiippo da.

Approaching others with a spirit of forgiveness is the first step toward reconciliation.

寛政かんせいの改革かいかくは、江戸えど時代じだいの重要じゅうような政治せいじ改革かいかくのひとつだ。

Kansei no kaikaku wa, Edo jidai no jūyō na seiji kaikaku no hitotsu da.

The Kansei Reforms are one of the important political reforms of the Edo period.

治療ちりょうのおかげで、病気びょうきが完全寛解かんぜんかんかいに至いたった。

Chiryō no okage de, byōki ga kanzen kankai ni itatta.

Thanks to the treatment, the illness reached complete remission.

Memory Tip

Picture a grand house with a wide, generous roof — that is the 宀 radical arching across the top of the character. Beneath it, there is room for everyone: the stubborn guest, the difficult colleague, the person who made a mistake. The house turns no one away. That is 寛大 (kandai) — a heart as wide as a welcoming roof. Anchor kutsurogu (to relax) to the same image: step under that broad roof, set your bags down, and unwind. Wide space, wide heart. That single image carries through most 寛 encounters.