Meaning
The kanji 汗 means sweat or perspiration — the moisture the body releases during exercise, heat, or a moment of nerves. At just six strokes, it's compact and turns up constantly in daily Japanese.
Etymologically, 汗 combines two elements: the radical 氵 (sanzui, the three-drop water radical) on the left, and 干 (dry, stem) on the right. Pairing "water" with "dry" looks contradictory at first. But sweat is exactly that — water the body produces in response to heat. The 干 component also hints at pronunciation: the on'yomi reading カン echoes that of 干.
Picture the three water drops (氵) as beads of sweat, and the right side (干) as a figure standing upright under a blazing sun. The image matches the meaning almost perfectly.
Despite being a secondary-level Jōyō kanji, 汗 appears constantly in everyday life — in sports commentary, health conversations, idioms about hard work, and expressions of embarrassment.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is カン (kan), used mainly in medical or scientific compounds. In casual conversation, it rarely appears on its own.
- 発汗 (hakkan) — perspiration, the act of sweating; common in health contexts, e.g., 発汗作用 (diaphoretic effect)
- 多汗症 (takan-shō) — hyperhidrosis, a condition involving excessive sweating
- 汗腺 (kansen) — sweat gland; used in anatomy and physiology
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi あせ (ase) is the reading you'll use in most situations. Wiping your brow after a run, complaining about the summer heat, describing a tense moment — in all of these, あせ is the natural choice.
- 汗 (ase) — sweat, perspiration (standalone noun)
- 冷や汗 (hiyaase) — cold sweat; used figuratively for nervous or embarrassed sweating, as in 冷や汗が出た (I broke out in a cold sweat)
- 汗だく (asedaku) — drenched in sweat; vivid and colloquial
- 汗ばむ (asebamu) — to become slightly sweaty; captures that subtle warm-day moistness
Common Words & Compounds
Key compounds and expressions, grouped by theme:
Physical & Health-related
- 汗 (ase) — sweat (general noun)
- 発汗 (hakkan) — perspiration, sweating (medical/formal)
- 汗腺 (kansen) — sweat gland
- 多汗症 (takan-shō) — hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating condition)
- 汗疹 (asemo) — heat rash, prickly heat; a common summer complaint in Japan
Everyday Expressions
- 冷や汗 (hiya-ase) — cold sweat (from fear, embarrassment, or a close call)
- 汗だく (ase-daku) — dripping with sweat, soaked in perspiration
- 汗ばむ (asebamu) — to become slightly sweaty
- 汗臭い (ase-kusai) — smelling of sweat
- 汗をかく (ase wo kaku) — to sweat, to perspire (the standard verb phrase)
Effort & Hard Work
- 汗水 (ase-mizu) — sweat and toil; used in the phrase 汗水垂らして (working hard, pouring out sweat)
- 血と汗 (chi to ase) — blood and sweat; similar to English "blood, sweat, and tears"
Example Sentences
暑くて汗が止まりません。
Atsukute ase ga tomarimasen.
It's so hot that I can't stop sweating.
運動した後、汗をたくさんかきました。
Undō shita ato, ase wo takusan kakimashita.
After exercising, I sweated a lot.
彼は汗だくで走ってきた。
Kare wa asedaku de hashitte kita.
He came running, drenched in sweat.
緊張して冷や汗が出た。
Kinchō shite hiyaase ga deta.
I was so nervous that I broke out in a cold sweat.
汗をかいたら、すぐシャワーを浴びたほうがいいよ。
Ase wo kaitara, sugu shawā wo abita hō ga ii yo.
If you sweat, you should shower right away.
父は汗水垂らして働いてきた。
Chichi wa asemizu tarashite hataraite kita.
My father has worked hard his whole life, pouring his sweat and effort into it.
サウナに入ると、発汗を促すことができます。
Sauna ni hairu to, hakkan wo unagasu koto ga dekimasu.
Entering a sauna can promote perspiration.
夏は汗で服がすぐ濡れてしまう。
Natsu wa ase de fuku ga sugu nurete shimau.
In summer, my clothes get soaked from sweat almost immediately.
汗臭いから、着替えたほうがいいんじゃない？
Asekusai kara, kigaeta hō ga ii n ja nai?
You smell like sweat — shouldn't you change your clothes?
Memory Tip
Focus on the two parts of 汗. On the left, 氵 — three drops of water. On the right, 干 — dry, heat. Put them together: dryness and heat produce moisture. That moisture is sweat. The on'yomi カン also borrows directly from 干, so the right side does double duty as both a visual cue and a sound hint.