行 — To Go, To Act, Line

Meaning

The kanji 行 (gyō or kō) is a fundamental character with a wide range of meanings, often sparking curiosity among learners. At its core, 行 expresses concepts of movement, action, and progression. You'll encounter it frequently, whether it's about going somewhere, performing an action, or referring to a line of text.

Historically, 行 is a pictograph depicting a crossroads or a path where two roads intersect. Imagine observing a street or path, seeing traffic or people moving along. This visual origin clearly represents its primary meaning: 'to go' or 'to move.' Over time, its meaning broadened to include 'to perform' or 'to carry out' an action, suggesting the idea of moving forward with a task. It also connects to 'a line' or 'a row,' reflecting an orderly progression, much like a line of characters on a page or a row of trees.

With its relatively simple six-stroke structure, 行 is easy to learn and remember. It's taught in the second grade of Japanese elementary school and is an N5 level kanji, making it one of the first characters Japanese learners typically encounter. The radical itself is 行, signifying 'going' or 'doing,' which reinforces its core conceptual ties. Understanding its visual origin as a path greatly aids in grasping its broad meanings. It encompasses not only physical movement but also the progression of events or actions.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The On'yomi readings of 行 stem from ancient Chinese pronunciations and are typically used when 行 is part of a compound word alongside other kanji. The most common On'yomi are コウ (kō) and ギョウ (gyō).

• コウ (kō): You'll often find this reading in words related to travel, actions, or sometimes banks.

• 旅行りょこう (ryokō) — travel, trip

• 銀行ぎんこう (ginkō) — bank

• 行動こうどう (kōdō) — action, conduct

• ギョウ (gyō): This reading commonly appears in words related to lines, rows, or performance. It can also signify a "line" in text or a "row" in a sequence.

• 行列ぎょうれつ (gyōretsu) — queue, procession, line

• 行事ぎょうじ (gyōji) — event, function

• 修行しゅぎょう (shugyō) — training, ascetic practice

• アン (an): This reading is less common but appears in specific historical or Buddhist contexts.

• 行脚あんぎゃ (angya) — pilgrimage (especially by monks)

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

Kun'yomi readings represent native Japanese words assigned to the kanji 行. You'll typically find them when 行 stands alone or is followed by okurigana (送り仮名), the kana characters that complete the word.

• い.く (i-ku): This is the most common Kun'yomi, meaning "to go" or "to proceed."

• 行くいく (iku) — to go

• 行っていって (itte) — going (te-form)

• 行きますいきます (ikimasu) — will go (polite form)

• ゆ.く (yu-ku): Another reading for "to go," this one is often interchangeable with い.く, but it sometimes appears in more literary or poetic contexts, or with specific compound verbs.

• 行く年ゆくとし (yukutoshi) — the passing year

• 行き先ゆきさき (yukisaki) — destination

• 行き来ゆきき (yukiki) — coming and going, traffic

• おこな.う (okona-u): This reading conveys the meaning 'to perform,' 'to conduct,' or 'to carry out.'

• 行うおこなう (okonau) — to perform, to conduct

• 行われるおこなわれる (okonawareru) — to be held, to take place

Common Words & Compounds

This section presents common words and compounds featuring the kanji 行. These are grouped by themes to illustrate how its fundamental meanings of 'going,' 'action,' and 'line' appear in various contexts.

Movement and Travel

• 旅行りょこう (ryokō) — travel, trip

• 飛行機ひこうき (hikōki) — airplane (lit. "flying machine that goes")

• 通行人つうこうにん (tsūkōnin) — pedestrian, passerby (lit. "person passing through")

• 出発しゅっぱつするする (shuppatsu suru) — to depart (though 出 is the primary kanji here, the "going" is implied)

Actions and Conduct

• 行動こうどう (kōdō) — action, conduct, behavior

• 実行じっこう (jikkō) — execution, implementation (lit. "realize going")

• 流行りゅうこう (ryūkō) — fashion, trend, popularity (lit. "flowing going")

• 実行可能じっこうかのう (jikkō kanō) — feasible, executable

Lines and Order

• 銀行ぎんこう (ginkō) — bank (often interpreted as a place where money "flows" or "goes")

• 行列ぎょうれつ (gyōretsu) — queue, procession, line (lit. "row line")

• 一行いちぎょう (ichigyō) — a line (of text)

• 行事ぎょうじ (gyōji) — event, function, ceremony

Religious and Formal Contexts

• 修行しゅぎょう (shugyō) — ascetic practice, training, discipline

• 仏行ぶつぎょう (butsugyō) — Buddhist practice

Example Sentences

Let's see 行 in action with these example sentences, ranging from simple to slightly more complex. Notice how the reading of 行 changes with the context!

Related Kanji

• 上 — Above, Up (Kanji N5)
• 立 — Stand, Establish, Set Up (Kanji N5)
• 出 — To Go Out, To Come Out, To Put Out (Kanji N5)
• 来 — Come, Next, Future (Kanji N5)
• 気 — Spirit, Energy, Air (Kanji N5)
• 百 — Hundred (Kanji N5)

Memory Tip

To remember the kanji 行, visualize it as a crossroads or a path. The two short vertical lines at the top and bottom can represent legs or people walking along a road, with the horizontal line connecting them forming the path itself. When you see 行, think of 'going' somewhere, perhaps along a 'line' in a 'row' of people, or 'performing' an action on that path. You can even imagine two people standing on a road, facing opposite directions, symbolizing 'going' or 'coming and going' along the path.