Meaning
指 covers three linked ideas: finger (the body part), to point (the action), and to indicate or designate (the result). It turns up everywhere — train platform signs reading 指定席, workplace emails packed with 指示, a child 指さす-ing at something they want.
The structure makes sense once you see it. On the left is 扌, the hand radical — a compressed form of 手. On the right is 旨, historically tied to intent: something aimed at deliberately, with purpose. Together they suggest a hand extending one finger toward a target — pointing at it, naming it, commanding it.
Japanese children learn 指 in Grade 3, 9 strokes. What matters at N3 is its double life: as a noun (ゆび), it names fingers; as a verb (さす), it describes the act of pointing. Compounds like 指示 and 指定 come up constantly in formal and workplace contexts — recognizing them quickly pays off.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
シ shows up in nearly every compound. Workplace orders, formal documents, academic writing — if 指 sits next to another kanji, it almost always reads シ. That's a reliable starting point when you encounter an unfamiliar word.
- 指示 (shiji) — instruction, direction, order
- 指定 (shitei) — designation, specification, appointment
- 指導 (shidou) — guidance, coaching, leadership
- 指揮 (shiki) — command, conducting (music/military)
- 指摘 (shiteki) — pointing out, bringing attention to ### Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Two kun'yomi. ゆび (yubi) is the noun — the physical finger, used to name each one individually. さす (sasu) is the verb — pointing at something, directing attention toward it. Both come together in 指さす: to extend a finger at something specific.
- 指 (yubi) — finger (in general)
- 薬指 (kusuri yubi) — ring finger
- 親指 (oya yubi) — thumb
- 人差し指 (hitosashi yubi) — index finger
- 指さす (yubi sasu) — to point one's finger at
Common Words & Compounds
指 is productive — body-part vocabulary, workplace instructions, formal designations. Here are the ones worth learning first, grouped by how you're likely to encounter them.
Body Parts — Fingers
- 親指 (oyayubi) — thumb (literally "parent finger")
- 人差し指 (hitosashi yubi) — index finger (literally "human-pointing finger")
- 中指 (nakayubi) — middle finger
- 薬指 (kusuriyubi) — ring finger (literally "medicine finger")
- 小指 (koyubi) — little finger / pinky
Instructions & Direction
- 指示 (shiji) — instruction, order; e.g. from a boss or teacher
- 指導 (shidou) — guidance, coaching; used in education and sports
- 指揮 (shiki) — command, conducting; used for orchestras and military
- 指揮者 (shikisha) — conductor (music) or commander
Designation & Reference
- 指定 (shitei) — designation, appointment; e.g. 指定席 (reserved seat)
- 指名 (shimei) — nomination, naming a specific person
- 指摘 (shiteki) — pointing out a problem or error
- 指針 (shishin) — guideline, policy, compass needle
Example Sentences
彼女は地図の一点を指さした。
Kanojo wa chizu no itten wo yubisashita.
She pointed at a spot on the map.
先生の指示に従ってください。
Sensei no shiji ni shitagatte kudasai.
Please follow the teacher's instructions.
薬指に指輪をはめています。
Kusuriyubi ni yubiwa wo hamete imasu.
I am wearing a ring on my ring finger.
監督はグラウンドでチームを直接指導した。
Kantoku wa guraundo de chiimu wo chokusetsu shidou shita.
The coach personally guided the team on the field.
この席は指定席なので、他の人は座れません。
Kono seki wa shiteiseki nanode, hoka no hito wa suwaremasen.
This is a reserved seat, so others cannot sit here.
彼は会議で問題点を指摘した。
Kare wa kaigi de mondaiten wo shiteki shita.
He pointed out the issues during the meeting.
子供が空に浮かぶ飛行機を指さした。
Kodomo ga sora ni ukabu hikouki wo yubisashita.
The child pointed at an airplane floating in the sky.
部長が私を担当者に指名した。
Buchou ga watashi wo tantousha ni shimei shita.
The department head nominated me as the person in charge.
楽団の指揮者は細いバトンを振った。
Gakudan no shikisha wa hosoi baton wo futta.
The orchestra conductor waved a thin baton.
Memory Tip
Picture the 扌 radical — a hand — with one finger extended toward something 旨: tasty, deliberate. The right component looks like a mouth with something good sitting above it. Think of pointing at a dish on a menu and saying that one. That's 指: the finger, the pointing, the deliberate choice, all in one kanji.
Vietnamese speakers have a head start. The Hán-Việt reading CHỈ already lives in familiar words — chỉ đạo (to lead/direct) and chỉ điểm (to point out) — all tracing back to the same ancient Chinese root as this kanji.