Meaning
候 traces all its meanings back to one ancient idea: careful watching and waiting. In modern Japanese it shows up most often in compounds for weather and climate (気候, 天候), signs and symptoms (兆候, 症候), and the political sense of a candidate — someone standing ready to be chosen (候補). A deeper layer comes from classical Japanese. The kun'yomi そうろう once served as a humble verbal auxiliary in formal correspondence, roughly meaning "it is" with deep deference. It dominated samurai-era letters and official documents written in the style known as 候文 (そうろうぶん).
Structurally, 候 combines the 亻 (person) radical on the left — the simplified form of 人 — with the component 矦 on the right, which carries a sense of watching and observation (think of an archer tracking a target). Together they sketch a clear picture: a person standing attentively, reading the sky. Shifting seasons, drifting clouds, signs of approaching rain. That image threads through every meaning: observing the season, watching for symptoms, standing ready as a candidate.
候 has 10 strokes and is a grade 4 elementary school kanji — Japanese children meet it in fourth grade. Its radical is 亻 (person), a fitting anchor for a character built on human watchfulness. At N2, its compounds come up regularly in newspapers, medical writing, and formal Japanese.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
コウ is the reading you'll use in almost every compound you encounter. It covers vocabulary from weather and medicine to politics and military history. When 候 pairs with another kanji, コウ is nearly always the right call.
- 気候 (kikō) — climate, the general weather pattern of a region
- 天候 (tenkō) — weather, the current atmospheric conditions
- 候補 (kōho) — candidate, someone nominated or standing for selection
- 兆候 (chōkō) — sign, indication, omen; early symptom
- 時候 (jikō) — season, time of year; used in formal seasonal greetings
- 症候 (shōkō) — symptom, clinical sign
- 斥候 (sekkō) — scout, reconnaissance soldier
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
そうろう has fallen out of everyday use but remains culturally significant. In classical texts from the Kamakura through Edo periods, it served as a humble copula — the polite equivalent of "is" or "exists." Crack open a historical novel or watch a period drama, and you'll run into it. Two modern words preserve the reading.
- 候文 (sōrōbun) — classical epistolary style using そうろう as polite auxiliary
- 居候 (isōrō) — a freeloader; literally "one who sits and waits upon their host"
Common Words & Compounds
候 turns up across a surprisingly wide range of fields. Here are the key compounds, grouped by theme.
Weather & Climate
- 気候 (kikō) — climate; the long-term weather pattern of a region
- 天候 (tenkō) — weather; current atmospheric state
- 時候 (jikō) — season; time of year, used especially in formal greetings
- 気候変動 (kikō hendō) — climate change
- 気候帯 (kikōtai) — climate zone, climatic belt
Signs, Symptoms & Medical
- 兆候 (chōkō) — sign, indication, harbinger
- 症候 (shōkō) — clinical symptoms, syndrome component
- 症候群 (shōkōgun) — syndrome (literally "symptom group")
Candidate & Election
- 候補 (kōho) — candidate, nominee
- 候補者 (kōhosha) — candidate (as a person)
- 立候補 (rikkōho) — running for election, announcing one's candidacy
- 有力候補 (yūryoku kōho) — leading candidate, strong contender
Classical & Other
- 居候 (isōrō) — freeloader, sponger
- 候文 (sōrōbun) — classical letter-writing style
- 斥候 (sekkō) — military scout, reconnaissance unit
Example Sentences
今年の気候は例年より暖かい。
Kotoshi no kikō wa reinen yori atatakai.
This year's climate is warmer than usual.
天候が悪くて、試合が中止になった。
Tenkō ga warukute, shiai ga chūshi ni natta.
The game was canceled due to bad weather.
彼女は市長選挙の候補者だ。
Kanojo wa shichō senkyo no kōhosha da.
She is a candidate in the mayoral election.
病気の兆候が現れ始めた。
Byōki no chōkō ga araware hajimeta.
Signs of illness have started to appear.
時候のあいさつを忘れずに手紙に書いてください。
Jikō no aisatsu wo wasurezu ni tegami ni kaite kudasai.
Please don't forget to include seasonal greetings in your letter.
気候変動は世界が直面する深刻な問題だ。
Kikō hendō wa sekai ga chokumen suru shinkoku na mondai da.
Climate change is a serious problem facing the world.
その症候群の原因はまだ解明されていない。
Sono shōkōgun no gen'in wa mada kaimei sarete inai.
The cause of that syndrome has not yet been identified.
彼は次の選挙に立候補すると発表した。
Kare wa tsugi no senkyo ni rikkōho suru to happyō shita.
He announced that he would run in the next election.
大学を卒業してから、友人の家に居候している。
Daigaku wo sotsugyō shite kara, yūjin no ie ni isōrō shite iru.
Since graduating from university, he has been living off his friend.
斥候が敵の動きを報告した。
Sekkō ga teki no ugoki wo hōkoku shita.
The scout reported on the enemy's movements.
Memory Tip
Picture a person (亻) standing at a window, gazing at the sky — tracking clouds, checking the wind, waiting for the season to turn. That patient, watchful attention is 候 in a nutshell. The same person observes the weather (天候), reads long-term climate patterns (気候), spots early warning signs (兆候), and bides their time — just like a candidate (候補) waiting to be called. In classical Japanese, this same deferential posture described a loyal retainer attending their lord, which is how そうろう became a mark of polite speech. Whatever the context, 候 is a person watching, waiting, and standing ready.