Meaning
尋 carries the primary meanings of to inquire, to search, to look for, and to visit. In classical Japanese and Chinese, it also named a unit of length called a hiro (尋) — roughly 1.8 meters, the span of two outstretched arms, equivalent to the English fathom.
The structure of 尋 tells its own story. The upper left holds 彐, resembling a hand in a measuring posture; the upper right carries 工 (work, craft). Between them sits 口 (mouth, speech), and the whole character rests on 寸 — an ancient unit roughly equal to one thumb's width. Together they evoke someone stretching both arms wide while calling out a measurement aloud. From that concrete image of physical reach, the character extended to mean reaching toward something more abstract: a question, a person, a place.
A Jōyō kanji rated JLPT N1, 尋 has 12 strokes with 寸 as its primary radical. It rarely surfaces in casual conversation but turns up consistently in formal writing, journalism, legal documents, and literature — particularly in 尋問 (interrogation) and 尋常 (ordinary). These two compounds alone account for the majority of 尋's appearances at N1 level.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
ジン (JIN) is the sole on'yomi for 尋. It never stands alone — you'll only find it inside formal compound words (熟語, jukugo). JIN carries a tone of officialdom: legal proceedings, historical records, administrative fixed phrases. Spot 尋 in an unfamiliar compound and JIN almost always signals formal or classical territory.
- 尋問 (jinmon) — interrogation, formal questioning; used when police, detectives, or courts formally question a suspect or witness
- 尋常 (jinjō) — ordinary, normal, common; most often encountered in the negative phrase 尋常ではない, meaning extraordinary or highly unusual
- 尋常小学校 (jinjō shōgakkō) — the standard elementary school under Japan's pre-war Meiji and Taisho-era educational system; a historical term important for reading classical literature and documents
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The main kun'yomi is たず・ねる (tazu-neru). This verb carries two closely linked meanings: (1) to ask, to inquire — directed at a person to seek information — and (2) to visit, to call on someone. The dot (・) marks where the conjugatable ending begins. A second kun'yomi, ひろ (hiro), names the classical unit of depth (approximately 1.8 meters). It survives in poetry and classical literature but almost never appears in modern spoken Japanese.
- 尋ねる (tazuneru) — to ask / to inquire / to visit; a central verb in polite and formal Japanese
- 道を尋ねる (michi wo tazuneru) — to ask for directions; a natural, everyday expression
- 一尋 (hito-hiro) — one fathom (approx. 1.8 m); classical unit of depth or arm span
Common Words & Compounds
Key vocabulary featuring 尋, grouped by theme:
Inquiry and investigation:
- 尋問 (jinmon) — interrogation, official questioning; the formal examination of a suspect or witness by police or a court
- 尋ね人 (tazune-bito) — a missing person; literally a person being searched for
- 尋ね物 (tazune-mono) — a lost item; something that has been misplaced and is being sought
- お尋ね者 (o-tazune-mono) — a wanted criminal; literally a person being asked about; used on wanted posters
Ordinary and expected state:
- 尋常 (jinjō) — ordinary, normal; often appears in the negative to emphasize something highly unusual or alarming
- 尋常ではない (jinjō de wa nai) — out of the ordinary; used in formal speech and writing to emphasize severity or unusualness
Visiting and reaching out:
- 旧友を尋ねる (kyūyū wo tazuneru) — to visit an old friend; to look up a friend from the past
- 故郷を尋ねる (kokyō wo tazuneru) — to visit one's hometown; to return to one's roots
- 先生を尋ねる (sensei wo tazuneru) — to call on one's teacher; to visit a mentor
Measurement and classical usage:
- 千尋 (chihiro) — a thousand fathoms; used poetically to convey unfathomable depth, as in the ocean floor or the sky's height
- 八尋 (yahiro) — eight fathoms; a poetic expression for great depth or vastness, found in classical poetry and proper nouns
Example Sentences
道を尋ねてもいいですか。
Michi wo tazunete mo ii desu ka.
May I ask you for directions?
先生の家を尋ねた。
Sensei no ie wo tazuneta.
I visited my teacher's home.
この状況は尋常ではない。
Kono jōkyō wa jinjō de wa nai.
This situation is far from ordinary.
警察は容疑者に厳しく尋問した。
Keisatsu wa yōgisha ni kibishiku jinmon shita.
The police questioned the suspect sternly.
理由を尋ねると、彼は黙ってしまった。
Riyū wo tazuneru to, kare wa damatte shimatta.
When I asked him the reason, he fell silent.
行方不明の子供を尋ねる声が続いている。
Yukue fumei no kodomo wo tazuneru koe ga tsuzuite iru.
Appeals for information about the missing child continue.
刑事は証人に細かく尋問した。
Keiji wa shōnin ni komakaku jinmon shita.
The detective questioned the witness in meticulous detail.
先祖の足跡を尋ねて旅に出た。
Senzo no ashiato wo tazunete tabi ni deta.
I set out on a journey to trace the footsteps of my ancestors.
千尋の海の底に沈む宝を夢見た。
Chihiro no umi no soko ni shizumu takara wo yumemita.
I dreamed of treasure sunk to the unfathomable depths of the sea.
Memory Tip
Picture someone standing with both arms stretched wide — measuring the width of a doorway or the depth of a well. That outstretched span is one hiro (尋), one fathom. Notice the 寸 at the bottom of the kanji — a unit of measurement — anchoring the whole character to the idea of measuring by hand. Now imagine those same arms reaching out not to measure a wall, but toward a person: to ask a question, to seek an answer, to visit a friend. That is the core of 尋 — always reaching outward. Whenever you see it, picture those outstretched arms.