欄
欄·column, handrail, blank
- On-yomi
- らん
- Kun-yomi
- none
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 空欄 | くうらん | blank space, blank field |
| 欄外 | らんがい | margin (of a page) |
| 備考欄 | びこうらん | remarks column |
| 投書欄 | とうしょらん | readers' letters column |
Example sentences
空欄に名前を書いてください。
くうらんになまえをかいてください。
Please write your name in the blank.
新聞の投書欄を毎朝読んでいる。
しんぶんのとうしょらんをまいあさよんでいる。
I read the letters page in the newspaper every morning.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
- 欄蘭蘭 (らん, orchid) shares 闌 with the grass crown instead of the wood radical 木.
Common mistakes
- 空欄 is くうらん — the blank box on a form.
- 欄 is a column or box on a page; a newspaper opinion column as a genre is コラム.
Memory aid
Picture it
Wood 木 with 闌, a barred gate: a wooden railing — and the ruled-off column on a form is the same fenced strip.
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 欄 mean?