Meaning
廉 carries two meanings joined by a single idea. The primary sense is honesty, integrity, and incorruptibility — the moral quality expected of someone in public life who neither takes bribes nor abuses power. The secondary sense is inexpensive or modest in price. These two are not coincidental: a person of 廉 neither overcharges nor exploits others for gain. Their character and their prices are equally spare.
Structurally, 廉 is built on the radical 广 (まだれ), a slanting roof or cliff face that appears in characters related to buildings and sheltered spaces — 店 (shop), 庭 (garden), 広 (wide). The lower component 兼 (けん) hints at the on'yomi reading レン and carries a sense of holding to a unified standard. Historically, the full character evoked someone sheltered beneath virtue: their conduct spare, their integrity uncontaminated.
In Confucian moral philosophy — and in early Japanese bureaucratic culture — 廉 was a cardinal virtue. A 廉 official served the people honestly, accepting no bribes and accumulating no illicit wealth. This ideal spread across East Asia, leaving 廉 embedded in classical texts, official titles, and moral treatises. The kanji has 13 strokes and is a Joyo kanji (常用漢字) taught at the high-school level.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
廉 has one on'yomi: レン. It appears almost exclusively in compound words (熟語) covering both pricing and moral character, across formal, literary, and business contexts.
- 廉価 (renka) — low price, bargain price; common in product descriptions
- 清廉 (seiren) — integrity and purity of character, incorruptibility
- 破廉恥 (harenchi) — shamelessness, brazen immorality; the negation of 廉恥
- 廉売 (renbai) — bargain sale, selling goods cheaply
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi かど means a corner or angle, and by extension a point or matter at issue. Rare in modern Japanese, it surfaces mainly in classical or literary texts. Most learners will encounter the on'yomi far more often, but knowing かど helps when reading older materials.
- 廉 (kado) — corner, angle; also a reason or matter in classical usage
Common Words & Compounds
廉 appears mainly in formal, literary, and business vocabulary. The compounds below are grouped by theme.
Price and commercial value:
- 廉価 (renka) — low price, bargain; the most common everyday use of 廉
- 廉価版 (renka-ban) — budget edition, economy version of a product
- 廉売 (renbai) — bargain sale, discount selling
Moral integrity and character:
- 清廉 (seiren) — purity and integrity, incorruptibility; the most common moral compound
- 廉潔 (renketsu) — moral purity, uprightness of conduct
- 廉直 (renchoku) — honest and upright, incorruptible in character
- 廉明 (renmei) — honest and enlightened; used of leaders or officials
- 廉恥 (renchi) — sense of honor and shame, moral conscience
- 破廉恥 (harenchi) — shamelessness, brazenness; acting without moral conscience
Four-character compounds (四字熟語):
- 清廉潔白 (seiren keppaku) — completely clean and honest; pure in both character and conduct
Classical and historical vocabulary:
- 廉士 (renshi) — a person of integrity (classical term)
- 廉吏 (renri) — an honest, incorruptible official (classical bureaucratic term)
Example Sentences
この廉価なモデルは若者の間で人気がある。
Kono renka na moderu wa wakamono no aida de ninki ga aru.
This budget-priced model is popular among young people.
彼は清廉な政治家として広く知られている。
Kare wa seiren na seijika toshite hiroku shirarete iru.
He is widely known as a politician of great integrity.
その店は廉売を続けているので、多くの客が集まる。
Sono mise wa renbai wo tsuzukete iru node, ooku no kyaku ga atsumaru.
Because that store keeps holding bargain sales, many customers gather there.
破廉恥な行動は社会から強い批判を受ける。
Harenchi na kōdō wa shakai kara tsuyoi hihan wo ukeru.
Shameless behavior invites strong criticism from society.
廉潔な人物は腐敗した組織の中でも自分の信念を守る。
Renketsu na jinbutsu wa fuhai shita soshiki no naka demo jibun no shinnen wo mamoru.
A person of moral purity upholds their principles even within a corrupt organization.
廉価版の端末でも、日常の作業には十分な性能がある。
Renka-ban no tanmatsu demo, nichijō no sagyō ni wa jūbun na seinou ga aru.
Even a budget-edition device has sufficient performance for everyday tasks.
清廉潔白な官僚が行政を支えるべきだ。
Seiren keppaku na kanryō ga gyōsei wo sasaeru beki da.
Bureaucrats of completely clean character ought to support the administration.
廉恥の精神を持つ人は、誘惑に負けにくい。
Renchi no seishin wo motsu hito wa, yūwaku ni make nikui.
A person who possesses a sense of moral honor is less likely to succumb to temptation.
廉直な性格は長期的な信頼を築く上で不可欠だ。
Renchoku na seikaku wa chōkiteki na shinrai wo kizuku ue de fukaketsu da.
An honest and upright character is indispensable for building long-term trust.
Memory Tip
Picture a wise old official standing beneath a slanting roof (广, the まだれ radical). Corrupt officials pile stolen wealth under their rooftops. This official's shelter is lean and spare — no bribes accepted, no prices inflated, nothing hoarded. His home is modest; his character is clean. Both meanings of 廉 live in that image: cheap and humble in possessions, honest and incorruptible in conduct.
The reading レン sounds like the English word lean — lean in greed, lean in corruption. The four-character compound 清廉潔白 (seiren keppaku), meaning "completely pure and beyond reproach," makes a strong anchor for the kanji's ethical dimension.