Meaning
The kanji 伝 (DEN, tsuta.waru, tsuta.eru) primarily means 'convey,' 'transmit,' 'communicate,' or 'hand down.' It signifies passing information, knowledge, feelings, or even physical objects from one entity or generation to another. This core meaning also extends to related concepts like 'tradition,' 'legend,' 'heredity,' and 'infection' – all involving something being passed on or spread.
The etymology of 伝 offers fascinating insights into its meaning. 伝 is a phonetic-semantic compound. Its left-hand radical, 亻 (ninben), is a variant of 人 (hito), meaning 'person.' This component indicates that the kanji's meaning often involves human action or agency.
The right-hand component, 云 (un), originally depicted a cloud but later came to mean 'to say' or 'to speak' (like the kanji 言, 'word'). While 云 provides the phonetic component for 伝 (デン), it also subtly reinforces the idea of something spreading like clouds or being articulated through speech. Therefore, the kanji visually suggests a person (亻) making something known or moving something as if speaking or spreading it (云).
This visual connection directly links to its core meaning: a person transmitting or communicating something. Whether it's a message, a story, or a genetic trait, 伝 embodies the process of making something known or causing it to move from a source to a recipient.
With 6 strokes, 伝 is taught in Japanese elementary school in Grade 4.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The primary on'yomi for 伝 is デン (DEN). These readings are derived from Chinese pronunciations and are most commonly used when 伝 forms part of a compound word with other kanji.
デン (DEN): This is the predominant on'yomi for 伝, found in a wide range of vocabulary. It signifies transmission, communication, or information being passed. When 伝 appears as part of a longer word, デン is typically the reading to remember.
伝説 (densetsu) — legend, folklore, tradition. These are stories or beliefs handed down through generations.
伝言 (dengon) — a message, especially one left for someone. This term emphasizes the act of conveying words.
遺伝 (iden) — heredity, genetics. Here, 伝 refers to biological information passed down from parents to offspring.
伝染 (densen) — infection, contagion. This describes the transmission of disease.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Kun'yomi are native Japanese readings, often associated with single kanji words or verb conjugations. For 伝, there are several important ones:
つた.わる (tsuta.waru): As an intransitive verb, this means 'to be conveyed,' 'to be transmitted,' or 'to be spread.' It describes something being received or becoming known without a direct agent.
情報が伝わる (jouhou ga tsutawaru) — The information is conveyed / Information gets around.
気持ちが伝わる (kimochi ga tsutawaru) — Feelings are conveyed / My feelings were understood.
つた.える (tsuta.eru): This transitive verb means 'to convey,' 'to transmit,' 'to tell,' or 'to communicate.' It implies an agent actively sending or telling something to someone else.
メッセージを伝える (messeeji wo tsutaeru) — To convey a message.
家族に伝える (kazoku ni tsutaeru) — To tell one's family.
つた.う (tsuta.u): This verb means 'to go along,' 'to follow (a path, rope, etc.),' or 'to move along.' Less common than the previous two, it implies a physical traversal or movement along something.
壁を伝う (kabe wo tsutau) — To go along the wall / To follow the wall.
綱を伝う (tsuna wo tsutau) — To go along a rope / To move along a rope.
-づて (-zute): This suffix is typically combined with a noun to form a compound, meaning 'by hearsay' or 'via someone/something.'
人伝 (hitozute) — by hearsay, via someone else.
風伝 (kaze-zute) — by rumor, word of mouth (literally 'wind transmission').
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 伝 appears in many essential Japanese words, reflecting its versatile meanings related to conveying and transmitting. Here are some common examples, categorized by theme:
Communication & Information Transfer
- 伝言 (dengon) — a message (often left for someone). This is a very common term in daily Japanese life.
- 伝達 (dentatsu) — communication, transmission (of orders, information, etc.). This emphasizes the formal passing on of information.
- 宣伝 (senden) — propaganda, advertisement, publicity. It describes the act of spreading information widely.
- 口伝 (kuchizute) — by word of mouth, hearsay. This refers to information passed verbally from person to person.
- 伝説 (densetsu) — legend, folklore, tradition. These are stories or beliefs transmitted through generations.
- 伝記 (denki) — biography, historical account. This is a written record that conveys someone's life story.
Biological & Physical Transmission
- 遺伝 (iden) — heredity, genetics. This refers to the biological transmission of traits.
- 遺伝子 (idenshi) — gene. The fundamental unit of heredity.
- 伝染 (densen) — infection, contagion. This refers to the transmission of disease from one host to another.
- 伝導 (dendou) — conduction (of heat, electricity). It describes the physical transmission of energy.
Actions & Processes
- 伝わる (tsutawaru) — to be conveyed, transmitted, spread (intransitive verb). This describes the reception of information or influence.
- 伝える (tsutaeru) — to convey, transmit, tell (transitive verb). This describes the act of sending information or influence.
- 伝来 (denrai) — transmission, introduction (of culture, technology, etc.). This refers to the historical process of something being brought into a region.
- 手伝う (tetsudau) — to help, assist. While the meaning has evolved, the '伝' here still carries a nuance of 'passing a hand' or offering support.
Example Sentences
彼の気持ちが私に伝わった。
Kare no kimochi ga watashi ni tsutawatta.
His feelings were conveyed to me.
家族に伝えておきます。
Kazoku ni tsutaete okimasu.
I will tell my family.
古い伝説がこの地域には伝わっている。
Furui densetsu ga kono chiiki ni wa tsutawatteiru.
An old legend is handed down in this region.
彼に伝言を頼んだ。
Kare ni dengon wo tanonda.
I asked him to pass on a message.
熱は物を伝って広がる。
Netsu wa mono wo tsutatte hirogaru.
Heat spreads through objects (is conducted along objects).
文化は時を超えて伝えられるべきだ。
Bunka wa toki wo koete tsutaerareru beki da.
Culture should be passed down through time.
遺伝子の研究は人類に貢献している。
Idenshi no kenkyuu wa jinrui ni kouken shiteiru.
Genetic research is contributing to humanity.
情報を正確に伝達することが重要だ。
Jouhou wo seikaku ni dentatsu suru koto ga juuyou da.
It is important to accurately convey information.
私が彼の仕事を手伝った。
Watashi ga kare no shigoto wo tetsudatta.
I helped him with his work.
新しい技術が海外から伝来した。
Atarashii gijutsu ga kaigai kara denrai shita.
New technology was introduced from overseas.
Memory Tip
To remember 伝, visualize a person (亻) standing next to a cloud (云). Imagine this person is trying to convey or transmit a message, perhaps by shouting so loudly that their words spread like a cloud across the sky, reaching far and wide. The component 云 itself can also be associated with 'saying' or 'speaking,' so you can think of a person using their voice to speak and thereby transmit information. This image of a person actively spreading information, whether by word or metaphorically like a cloud, strongly reinforces the kanji's core meaning of 'convey' or 'transmit.'