Meaning
The kanji 仮 marks something as not real, not permanent, or not yet official. Depending on context it translates as temporary, provisional, assumed, or fictitious. Spotting 仮 in a word is a reliable signal that something is a placeholder — a stand-in for the real thing, a short-term arrangement, or a hypothesis still awaiting confirmation.
Structurally, 仮 is the shinjitai (新字体, postwar simplified form) of the traditional character 假. Its left component is 亻 (person radical, a simplified 人), and the right derives from 叚 — an ancient element associated with borrowing. The image is direct: a person borrowing something temporarily, with no claim that it belongs to them or will last.
Grade 5 in the Japanese elementary school curriculum, 仮 takes 6 strokes to write. Its radical is 亻 (にんべん), which appears on the left side of many kanji tied to human actions or states. At N2, you will meet it in formal writing, legal documents, academic texts, and everyday talk about plans and hypotheticals.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
カ (ka) is the main on'yomi, used in nearly all compound words at N2 and above. When 仮 combines with another kanji, this is almost certainly the reading you need.
- 仮定 (katei) — assumption, hypothesis
- 仮想 (kasou) — virtual, imaginary
- 仮設 (kasetsu) — temporary installation or structure
A rarer reading, ケ (ke), survives in one well-known word. Older in origin, it has been largely displaced by カ but persists in fixed vocabulary.
- 仮病 (kebyou) — feigned illness, malingering
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
かり (kari) is the native reading, used when 仮 stands alone or prefixes a noun. It conveys something makeshift, borrowed, or not yet final — often as a prefix signalling a provisional version of something.
- 仮の姿 (kari no sugata) — a disguised form, a temporary appearance
- 仮住まい (karizumai) — temporary residence
- 仮免許 (karimenkyo) — provisional driving license
Common Words & Compounds
Key compounds, grouped by theme.
Hypothetical & Academic
- 仮定 (katei) — assumption, hypothesis; used in math, science, and everyday reasoning
- 仮説 (kasetsu) — hypothesis, theory; common in academic and scientific writing
- 仮想 (kasou) — virtual, imaginary; 仮想現実 (kasou genjitsu) = virtual reality (VR)
Temporary & Provisional
- 仮設 (kasetsu) — temporary setup; 仮設住宅 = emergency housing erected after disasters
- 仮免許 (karimenkyo) — provisional license
- 仮眠 (kamin) — short nap, catnap
- 仮釈放 (karishakuhou) — parole, provisional release from prison
Disguise & Identity
- 仮面 (kamen) — mask; literally a false face
- 仮装 (kasou) — costume, disguise; dressing up as someone else
- 仮病 (kebyou) — feigned illness
Writing System
- 仮名 (kana) — hiragana and katakana; historically called provisional scripts because they were considered unofficial next to kanji
- 平仮名 (hiragana) — the cursive syllabary
- 片仮名 (katakana) — the angular syllabary
Example Sentences
仮に雨が降ったら、試合は中止になります。
Kari ni ame ga futtara, shiai wa chuushi ni narimasu.
If it rains (hypothetically), the match will be cancelled.
彼は仮病を使って学校を休んだ。
Kare wa kebyou wo tsukatte gakkou wo yasunda.
He pretended to be sick and skipped school.
仮説を立てて、実験で確認しましょう。
Kasetsu wo tatete, jikken de kakunin shimashou.
Let's form a hypothesis and verify it through experiment.
震災後、多くの人が仮設住宅で暮らしていた。
Shinsaigo, ooku no hito ga kasetsu juutaku de kurashite ita.
After the earthquake, many people were living in temporary housing.
仮免許を取ったので、路上教習が始まりました。
Karimenkyo wo totta node, rojou kyoushuu ga hajimarimashita.
Since I got my provisional license, on-road training has started.
仮想現実の技術は急速に発展している。
Kasou genjitsu no gijutsu wa kyuusoku ni hatten shite iru.
Virtual reality technology is advancing rapidly.
彼女は仮面をつけてパーティーに現れた。
Kanojo wa kamen wo tsukete paatii ni arawareta.
She appeared at the party wearing a mask.
仮定の話をしても意味がないと思う。
Katei no hanashi wo shite mo imi ga nai to omou.
I think there's no point in talking about hypothetical scenarios.
被告は仮釈放を申請した。
Hikoku wa karishakuhou wo shinsei shita.
The defendant applied for parole.
長距離運転の前に仮眠をとっておくといい。
Choukyori unten no mae ni kamin wo totte oku to ii.
It's a good idea to take a short nap before long-distance driving.
Memory Tip
Picture 仮 as a person (亻) holding up a mask. The right side (叚) means borrowed — so the kanji shows a person borrowing a face. Every major compound plays out the same idea: 仮面 is a literal mask, 仮病 is a borrowed illness, 仮設住宅 is a borrowed house. Something real exists underneath; what you are looking at is just the temporary version.