Meaning
幅 means width or breadth — the distance from one side of something to the other. It covers far more than physical measurement: the swing of stock prices, the span of a person's skills, the reach of political influence — all expressed with 幅.
The left side is 巾, the radical for hanging cloth. The right side is 畐, historically linked to fullness or abundance. Picture a bolt of cloth unrolled to its full extent — that is the image the character encodes. Ancient craftsmen used cloth-bolt width as a standard trade measurement, so the textile connection is not decorative; it is the origin.
幅 has 12 strokes and is a Grade 8 Jōyō kanji. It appears regularly in news articles, technical documents, and formal writing involving measurements, ranges, and scales.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is フク (fuku). It surfaces mainly in formal compounds tied to engineering and official measurement — rarely heard in casual conversation.
- 幅員 (fukuin) — road width, pavement width (civil engineering term)
- 全幅 (zenpuku) — full width; with all one's heart (e.g., 全幅の信頼 — complete trust)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is はば (haba) — the reading you will use most. It works literally (the width of a shelf) and figuratively (the range of someone's abilities). Most everyday compounds are built on it.
- 幅広い (habahiroi) — wide, broad, wide-ranging
- 肩幅 (katahaba) — shoulder width
- 道幅 (michihaba) — road width, street width
- 横幅 (yokohaba) — horizontal width, breadth
- 幅跳び (habatobi) — long jump (athletics)
Common Words & Compounds
幅 spans physical measurement, finance, and idiom. Key compounds grouped by theme:
Physical Measurements
- 幅 (haba) — width, breadth (standalone noun)
- 横幅 (yokohaba) — horizontal width (e.g., of a table or screen)
- 肩幅 (katahaba) — shoulder width
- 道幅 (michihaba) — road width
- 幅員 (fukuin) — official width (of roads, corridors)
Range & Variation
- 値幅 (nehaba) — price range, price fluctuation
- 振り幅 (furihaba) — amplitude, range of swing or oscillation
- 幅広い (habahiroi) — wide-ranging, broad (adjective)
- 格差の幅 (kakusa no haba) — the extent of a disparity
Idiomatic & Figurative Use
- 幅を利かせる (haba wo kikaseru) — to throw one's weight around, to exert influence
- 幅が広い (haba ga hiroi) — to be versatile, to have a wide range of ability
- 全幅の信頼 (zenpuku no shinrai) — complete and absolute trust
Example Sentences
この道の幅は約６メートルです。
Kono michi no haba wa yaku roku mētoru desu.
The width of this road is about 6 meters.
彼女は幅広い知識を持っています。
Kanojo wa habahiroi chishiki wo motte imasu.
She has a wide range of knowledge.
この棚の横幅を測ってください。
Kono tana no yokohaba wo hakatte kudasai.
Please measure the horizontal width of this shelf.
株価の値幅が大きく動いた。
Kabuka no nehaba ga ōkiku ugoita.
Stock prices swung across a wide range.
あの政治家は幅を利かせている。
Ano seijika wa haba wo kikasete iru.
That politician is throwing his weight around.
肩幅が広いので、このシャツは少しきついです。
Katahaba ga hiroi node, kono shatsu wa sukoshi kitsui desu.
My shoulders are broad, so this shirt is a bit tight.
振り幅の大きい振り子が揺れている。
Furihaba no ōkii furiko ga yurete iru.
A pendulum with a large amplitude is swinging.
彼への全幅の信頼が裏切られた。
Kare e no zenpuku no shinrai ga uragirareta.
My complete trust in him was betrayed.
幅広い年齢層に支持されているブランドです。
Habahiroi nenreisō ni shiji sarete iru burando desu.
It is a brand supported by a wide range of age groups.
Memory Tip
Look at the left side: 巾, a cloth hanging from a rod. Add 畐 on the right — fullness, completely spread out. Together they paint one image: cloth unrolled to its widest point, every centimetre accounted for.
That image unlocks all the uses. A road's 道幅, a person's 肩幅, the 値幅 of stock prices — each one asks the same question: how wide does this go?