Meaning
The kanji 枯 means to wither, dry up, or die — most directly of plants and trees, but also of water sources, human energy, and resources. It names the process by which living things lose moisture and vitality until they become dry, brittle, and still.
Structurally, 枯 is an ideographic compound (会意文字): 木 (ki — tree, wood) on the left, 古 (ko — old, ancient) on the right. An old tree has outlived its prime — bare branches, no leaves, no moisture, just a weathered frame. That image is what 枯 encodes.
Written with 9 strokes, 枯 belongs to the 常用漢字 (jōyō kanji) list and appears on the JLPT N2 exam. Its radical is 木, placing it among kanji related to trees, wood, and the natural world.
The kanji extends beyond plants. A hoarse voice is 枯れた声 (a withered voice). Depleted oil or water is 枯渇 (kokatsu). In Zen aesthetics, 枯淡 (kotan) — a lean, austere simplicity — is prized as refined beauty rather than seen as lack.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is コ (ko), from the Middle Chinese pronunciation. It appears in compound words (熟語) of Chinese origin, typically in formal or literary contexts.
- 枯渇 (kokatsu) — exhaustion, depletion, running dry (of resources, water, energy)
- 枯死 (koshi) — dying off, withering death (of plants or trees)
- 枯淡 (kotan) — austere simplicity, quiet elegance (an aesthetic ideal in Japanese arts)
- 枯骨 (kokotsu) — dried bones, skeletal remains (literary/poetic usage)
In formal writing and literary contexts, コ compounds lean abstract: depletion of resources, death of vegetation, or the withered simplicity valued in Japanese aesthetics.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
There are two kun'yomi readings, forming an intransitive/transitive verb pair — a common pattern in Japanese:
か(れる) — kareru (intransitive): to wither, to dry up. The subject withers on its own.
- 枯れる (kareru) — to wither, to dry up
- 枯れ木 (kareki) — a dead or withered tree
- 枯れ葉 (kareha) — a dead leaf, a fallen withered leaf
か(らす) — karasu (transitive): to cause something to wither. An external agent — neglect, overuse — does the damage.
- 花を枯らす (hana wo karasu) — to let flowers wither (by neglecting to water them)
- 声を枯らす (koe wo karasu) — to make one's voice hoarse (by overusing it)
Common Words & Compounds
枯 appears across everyday and literary compounds. Here are the most useful, grouped by theme.
Nature & Plants:
- 枯れ木 (kareki) — dead tree, withered tree
- 枯れ葉 (kareha) — dead leaf, dried-up leaf
- 枯れ草 (karekusa) — dried grass, dead grass
- 枯れ野 (kareno) — a withered winter field; used in haiku
- 枯れ枝 (kareeda) — a dead branch
Resources & Depletion:
- 枯渇 (kokatsu) — complete depletion (of water, oil, funds, ideas)
- 枯死 (koshi) — dying off, withering to death (of plants)
Traditional Arts & Aesthetics:
- 枯山水 (karesansui) — dry landscape garden; the Zen rock garden style where raked sand and stones represent water and mountains
- 枯淡 (kotan) — withered simplicity; austere elegance treated as a high virtue in Japanese arts
Body & Voice:
- 枯れ声 (karegoe) — a hoarse, raspy voice (literally a "withered voice")
- 声が枯れる (koe ga kareru) — one's voice becomes hoarse
Example Sentences
庭の木が枯れてしまった。
Niwa no ki ga karete shimatta.
The tree in the garden has withered and died.
長い干ばつで川が枯れた。
Nagai kanbatsu de kawa ga kareta.
The river dried up during the long drought.
水をやらなかったので、花が枯れてしまいました。
Mizu wo yaranakatta node, hana ga karete shimaimashita.
Because I didn't water them, the flowers withered.
秋になると、葉が枯れて落ちる。
Aki ni naru to, ha ga karete ochiru.
When autumn comes, the leaves wither and fall.
石油の埋蔵量が枯渇しつつある。
Sekiyu no maizōryō ga kokatsu shitsutsu aru.
Oil reserves are gradually becoming exhausted.
演説で声を枯らしてしまった。
Enzetsu de koe wo karashite shimatta.
I made my voice hoarse from giving the speech.
この禅寺には美しい枯山水がある。
Kono zendera ni wa utsukushii karesansui ga aru.
This Zen temple has a beautiful dry landscape garden.
砂漠では多くの植物が枯れ果てている。
Sabaku de wa ōku no shokubutsu ga karehate iru.
In the desert, many plants have completely withered away.
資金が枯渇して、プロジェクトを続けられなくなった。
Shikin ga kokatsu shite, purojekuto wo tsuzukerarenaku natta.
The funds dried up and we could no longer continue the project.
枯れ木も山の賑わいということわざがある。
Kareki mo yama no nigiwai to iu kotowaza ga aru.
There is a proverb: "even a dead tree adds to the liveliness of a mountain" — meaning every little bit counts.
Memory Tip
Split 枯 into its two parts: 木 (tree) on the left, 古 (old) on the right. Picture a centuries-old tree — bark cracked, branches bare, every trace of green long gone. Age has stripped it of everything. That single image covers the full range of 枯: a dead flower, a dry riverbed, a depleted oil well. 木 + 古 = 枯 — old tree, withered.