Meaning
遣 covers three overlapping ideas: sending, dispatching, and using something with deliberate care. At its core, the kanji means to send someone on a task — a trusted messenger crossing the country, an official envoy departing for a foreign court. That historical weight survives in 遣唐使, the imperial envoys Japan sent to Tang Dynasty China during the 7th–9th centuries to bring back Buddhism, culture, law, and governance models.
遣 also means to use or handle something intentionally. You don't just use words — you 遣う them with care. Money is either managed well or squandered (無駄遣い). That sense of deliberateness runs through almost every compound built on this kanji.
The ⻌ (しんにゅう) radical at the base of 遣 represents movement along a road — a fitting frame for a kanji about dispatching people on journeys. At 13 strokes, 遣 is a moderately complex Jōyō kanji that appears in formal, literary, and everyday Japanese. Its Hán-Việt reading is KHIỂN, recognizable in Vietnamese expressions like sai khiển (to command) and phái khiển (to dispatch).
For learners, 遣 earns its place: the same kanji found in eighth-century diplomatic history also appears in phrases for pocket money, worrying about a friend's feelings, and choosing words carefully. Mastering it opens a set of expressions that are both historically grounded and emotionally alive.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
遣 has one on'yomi: ケン. It appears in formal, historical, and bureaucratic vocabulary — the kind found in textbooks, official documents, and discussions of Japanese history. The register is always official: dispatch, deployment, formal assignment.
- 派遣 (haken) — dispatch, deployment; widely used in the modern context of temporary staffing (派遣社員, haken sha-in, temp worker). In corporate Japan, this word comes up constantly.
- 遣唐使 (kentōshi) — imperial envoys sent from Japan to Tang Dynasty China. A key term in early Japanese cultural history, and ケン in its original, clearest sense.
- 差遣 (saken) — formal dispatch or assignment of a person to a post or mission. More literary than 派遣, found mainly in historical and official writing.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
On the kun'yomi side, 遣 has two readings that appear regularly in everyday Japanese: つか(う) / つか(わす) and the casual やる.
つかう / つかわす — Both carry a sense of using or sending with care. 遣う surfaces in compounds where how you handle something matters — choosing words, managing money, attending to someone's feelings. 遣わす means to send or dispatch someone, with a slightly elevated nuance compared to ordinary 送る.
- 気遣う (kizukau) — to be considerate, to pay attention to someone's feelings and wellbeing
- 言葉遣い (kotobazukai) — wording, word choice, manner of speaking
- 遣わす (tsukawasu) — to send, to dispatch a person to a location or task
やる — As やる, 遣 is one of the most flexible words in casual Japanese. It means to do, to give (downward — to a child, pet, or plant), or to send. Everyday writing almost always uses hiragana, but the kanji underneath is 遣. This reading anchors a family of very practical expressions.
- 遣り手 (yarite) — a capable, driven go-getter; someone who makes things happen
- 遣り方 (yarikata) — way of doing something, method, approach (often written やり方)
- 遣り直す (yarinaosu) — to redo, to start over
Common Words & Compounds
遣 appears across a wide range of everyday Japanese, from tender emotional expressions to historical vocabulary. Here are the most useful compounds by theme:
Emotional care and consideration:
- 気遣い (kizukai) — consideration for others, attentiveness to someone's feelings; one of the most valued qualities in Japanese social life
- 心遣い (kokorozukai) — thoughtfulness, care expressed through small gestures
- 気を遣う (ki wo tsukau) — to be considerate, to tread carefully around another person's emotional state
Language and expression:
- 言葉遣い (kotobazukai) — wording, choice of vocabulary, overall manner of speaking
- 仮名遣い (kanazukai) — kana orthography, the conventional spelling of Japanese words in kana
Money and errands:
- 小遣い (kozukai) — pocket money, allowance; the small spending money given to children or carried for personal use
- お遣い (otsukai) — errand; being sent somewhere to fetch or deliver something
- 無駄遣い (mudazukai) — wasteful spending, squandering money or resources
People management and skill:
- 人遣い (hitozukai) — the way one handles or manages people who work under them; can be rough (荒い) or gentle
- 遣り手 (yarite) — a skilled, capable person; someone who gets results
- 派遣 (haken) — dispatch; also the modern temp-worker staffing system widespread in Japanese corporate life
Historical and formal:
- 遣唐使 (kentōshi) — Japanese imperial envoys dispatched to Tang Dynasty China, central to early Japanese cultural history
- 差遣 (saken) — formal official dispatch of a person to a role or mission
Example Sentences
子供に毎週小遣いをあげています。
Kodomo ni maishū kozukai wo agete imasu.
I give my child pocket money every week.
気遣いありがとうございます。
Kizukai arigatō gozaimasu.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and consideration.
彼女は言葉遣いがとても丁寧だ。
Kanojo wa kotobazukai ga totemo teinei da.
She has a very polite and careful way of speaking.
お金の無駄遣いはやめてください。
Okane no mudazukai wa yamete kudasai.
Please stop wasting money.
母は私をスーパーへお遣いに行かせた。
Haha wa watashi wo sūpā e otsukai ni ikaseta.
My mother sent me on an errand to the supermarket.
その会社は派遣スタッフを多く採用している。
Sono kaisha wa haken sutaffu wo ōku saiyō shite iru.
That company employs a large number of temporary dispatch workers.
遣唐使は日本の文化に大きな影響を与えた。
Kentōshi wa Nihon no bunka ni ōkina eikyō wo ataeta.
The envoys to Tang China had a profound influence on Japanese culture.
彼は人遣いが荒いと言われている。
Kare wa hitozukai ga arai to iwarete iru.
He is said to be rough on the people who work under him.
心遣いのできる人は職場でとても好かれる。
Kokorozukai no dekiru hito wa shokuba de totemo sukareru.
People who are genuinely thoughtful and caring are well liked in the workplace.
このやり方でうまくいかなければ、遣り直そう。
Kono yarikata de umaku ikanakereba, yarinaosō.
If this method doesn't work out, let's start over.
Memory Tip
Picture an ancient Japanese official standing at the edge of a long road — that road is the ⻌ radical at the bottom of 遣, representing a path and movement along it. The official is dispatching a trusted envoy (遣唐使) all the way to China. He has to use (つかう) the right person, dispatch (ケン) them carefully, and hand over pocket money (小遣い) for the journey. He's also considerate (気遣い) about how hard the road will be. Every time you see ⻌ inside 遣, picture that road stretching away — and someone being sent down it. One image, all the meanings: send, dispatch, use, employ, do.