Meaning
The kanji 春 means spring — the first season of the year. In Japan, spring marks renewal, cherry blossoms, new beginnings, and the start of both the academic and fiscal year. It is the season of hanami (cherry blossom viewing), school entrance ceremonies, and fresh starts in career and family life.
The character is a pictographic-ideographic compound. The upper portion derives from 屯, which in ancient script depicted a sprout pushing up through frozen ground. The lower portion is 日 — sun — suggesting warmth and daylight returning. Together they evoke the image of sunlight coaxing young plants upward after winter's cold.
春 is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and written with 9 strokes. Its radical is 日, which sits at the bottom of the character. The kanji turns up across a wide range of words — seasonal vocabulary, personal names, poetry, and idiomatic expressions — making it one of the more rewarding N4 characters to learn.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading is シュン. It appears mainly in formal compounds and set phrases borrowed from Classical Chinese. You'll encounter シュン in literary and seasonal contexts, more often in writing than in everyday speech.
- 春分 (shunbun) — the spring equinox; a national holiday in Japan around March 20–21
- 青春 (seishun) — youth; literally "blue-green spring," referring to the vibrant years of adolescence
- 春季 (shunki) — the spring season; used in formal contexts such as 春季大会 (spring tournament)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi reading is はる. This is the everyday reading Japanese speakers use when talking about the season. It sounds soft — much like the season itself — and appears in compound nouns, place names, and personal names.
- 春 (haru) — spring; used on its own to refer to the season
- 春風 (harukaze) — spring breeze; a gentle, warm wind that signals the season's arrival
- 春雨 (harusame) — spring rain; also the name of thin glass noodles, evoking the delicate quality of spring drizzle
Common Words & Compounds
春 turns up across nature terms, school events, food names, and personal names. Here are some of the most useful compounds, grouped by theme.
Seasonal & Nature Terms
- 春 (haru) — spring
- 春風 (harukaze) — spring breeze
- 春雨 (harusame) — spring rain; also glass noodles
- 春分 (shunbun) — spring equinox
- 春色 (haruiro) — spring colors; the soft pastel hues of the season
School & Life Events
- 春休み (haruyasumi) — spring vacation; the school break between academic years in March–April
- 春先 (harusaki) — early spring; the very start of the season
Idiomatic & Literary Expressions
- 青春 (seishun) — youth; one's youthful years
- 春告鳥 (harutsuge-dori) — the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu); literally "the bird that announces spring"
- 春めく (harumeku) — to take on a spring-like quality; to feel like spring is in the air
Food & Daily Life
- 春巻き (harumaki) — spring rolls; a fried roll traditionally eaten in spring
- 春菊 (shungiku) — chrysanthemum greens; a leafy vegetable used in hot pots and salads
Example Sentences
春になると、桜の花が咲きます。
Haru ni naru to, sakura no hana ga sakimasu.
When spring comes, the cherry blossoms bloom.
もうすぐ春ですね。
Mou sugu haru desu ne.
Spring is almost here, isn't it.
春休みに旅行する予定です。
Haruyasumi ni ryokou suru yotei desu.
I plan to travel during spring break.
彼女は春の風のようにやさしい。
Kanojo wa haru no kaze no you ni yasashii.
She is as gentle as a spring breeze.
青春は二度と戻らない。
Seishun wa nido to modoranai.
Youth never comes back a second time.
春分の日は国民の祝日です。
Shunbun no hi wa kokumin no shukujitsu desu.
The spring equinox is a national holiday.
春になると、暖かくなって、気持ちがいいです。
Haru ni naru to, atatakaku natte, kimochi ga ii desu.
When spring arrives, it warms up and everything feels good.
今年の春は例年より暖かい。
Kotoshi no haru wa reinen yori atatakai.
This year's spring is warmer than usual.
春巻きが大好きなので、よく作ります。
Harumaki ga daisuki nanode, yoku tsukurimasu.
Since I love spring rolls, I make them often.
春の夜は短くて、夢のようだ。
Haru no yoru wa mijikakute, yume no you da.
A spring night is short and feels like a dream.
Related Kanji
- 夏 — Summer (Kanji N4)
- 秋 — Autumn / Fall (Kanji N4)
- 夜 — Night, Evening (Kanji N4)
- 夕 — Evening, Dusk (Kanji N4)
- 短 — Short, brief, defect (Kanji N4)
- 田 — Rice Field (Kanji N4)
Memory Tip
Think of 春 in two halves. The top looks like a small plant with two leaves stretching wide — a seedling reaching upward. The bottom is 日, meaning sun. Put them together: a shoot pushing through cold earth toward the warming sun. That is spring.
The reading haru is also easy to hold onto. It sounds a little like "hurray" — which is exactly how it feels when spring finally shows up after a long winter.