Understanding Okurigana: The Hiragana Tail That Shapes Meaning

If you have started learning kanji, you have probably seen this pattern: a word begins with kanji, then a few hiragana letters stick on the end. That trailing hiragana is okurigana (送り仮名).

For beginners, okurigana often feels confusing. Why not write the whole word in kanji? Or why not use only hiragana?

This guide explains what okurigana is, why it matters in Japanese grammar, and how it helps you read kanji that have many readings.

1. What Is Okurigana?

Literally, okurigana means “accompanying letters” or “sending-along letters.” In plain terms: okurigana is the hiragana ending that follows a kanji word stem.

Simple example:

• The verb “to eat” is taberu.
• Written: 食たべる.
• 食 (ta) is the kanji—the stem that carries the meaning “eat.”
• べる (beru) is the okurigana—the grammatical ending.

Without okurigana, Japanese would lose much of its grammatical flexibility.

2. Main Functions of Okurigana

Why does okurigana matter? Two big reasons.

A. Showing conjugation (form changes)

Japanese is an agglutinative language (forms “stick on”). Verbs and adjectives change to mark time (present/past), politeness, or negation. Those changes sit on the okurigana, while the kanji stays put.

Look at “eat” (taberu) again.

• 食べる (taberu) = eat (dictionary / plain)
• 食べます (tabemasu) = eat (polite)
• 食べない (tabenai) = not eat
• 食べた (tabeta) = ate
• 食べたい (tabetai) = want to eat

The kanji 食 stays the same; the hiragana “tail” changes. That is the grammatical job of okurigana. If every word were only kanji (as in much Chinese writing), you could not show conjugation the same way.

Adjective example: samui (cold)

Adjectives change too.

• 寒い (samui) = cold
• 寒くない (samukunai) = not cold
• 寒かった (samukatta) = was cold
• 寒くなかった (samukunakatta) = was not cold

The power of okurigana (hashiru)

One kanji 走 (“run”) can carry many nuances through okurigana:

• 走る (hashiru) = run
• 走りたい (hashiritai) = want to run
• 走れ！ (hashire!) = run! (command)
• 走れる (hashireru) = can run (potential)
• 走ったら (hashittara) = if (one) runs
• 走らない (hashiranai) = does not run

From a single kanji, many meanings appear just by changing the okurigana.

B. Choosing the kanji reading (disambiguation)

This is the function that most often rescues learners. One kanji can have many kunyomi readings. Okurigana hints which reading to use.

Take kanji 下Down. It has many readings.

1. 下した (shita) = under/below (no okurigana = noun)
2. 下さがる (sa-garu) = go down / step back (has garu = verb)
3. 下ください (kuda-sai) = please (has sai)
4. 下おりる (o-riru) = get off (a vehicle) (has riru)
5. 下おろす (o-rosu) = unload / lower (has rosu)

Without okurigana, 下 alone does not tell you whether to read shita, sa, kuda, or o. The okurigana signals: read sa because garu follows.

Another set: 生Life

• 生なま (nama) = raw
• 生いきる (i-kiru) = live
• 生うむ (u-mu) = give birth
• 生はえる (ha-eru) = grow (sprout)

Another set: 行Go/Do

• 行いく (i-ku) = go
• 行おこなう (okona-u) = hold / carry out
• 行くだり (kuda-ri) = outbound direction (e.g. train names)

Another set: 開Open

• 開ひらく (hira-ku) = open (a door / a book / one’s heart)
• 開あく (a-ku) = open (by itself; intransitive)
• 開あける (a-keru) = open (a door/window; transitive)

3. Basic Writing Rules for Okurigana

When do you write okurigana? The pattern is fairly intuitive.

1. Verbs

Verbs almost always have okurigana—usually the final -u part of the word.

• 行いく (i-ku) — go
• 見みる (mi-ru) — see
• 話はなす (hana-su) — speak
• 泳およぐ (oyo-gu) — swim

2. i-Adjectives

The final i is always okurigana.

• 高たかい (taka-i) — tall / expensive
• 美うつくしい (utsuku-shii) — beautiful
• 赤あかい (aka-i) — red

3. na-Adjectives

The main part is often all kanji; the particle na is separate and is not official okurigana (even if it feels similar).

• 静しずか (shizu-ka) — quiet. Ka is usually hiragana and treated as part of the word.

4. Nouns

Native Japanese nouns usually have no okurigana.

• 犬いぬ (inu) — dog
• 受付うけつけ (uketsuke) — reception desk. Exception: okurigana is sometimes dropped (uke-tsuke → uketsuke).

4. Variation and Exceptions

You will sometimes see different okurigana spellings for the same word. Those variants are recognized in official Japanese education guidelines.

Example: to perform (okonau)

1. 行おこなう (okonau) — school standard. Okurigana u after the reading okona.
2. 行おこなう (oko-nau) — a still-seen variant.

Example: short (mijikai)

1. 短みじかい (standard)
2. 短みじかい (rarer, but exists)

As a beginner, follow textbook or dictionary standard. Do not panic if novels or manga use a variant.

5. Practice: Guess from the Okurigana

Try reading kanji 中Inside/Middle from its okurigana.

1. 中 (no okurigana) → naka (inside)
2. 中あたる (…taru) → a-taru (hit / win)

Try 空Sky/Empty.

1. 空 (no okurigana) → sora (sky)
2. 空く (…ku) → a-ku (become empty / free)

Try 近Near.

1. 近ちかい (…i) → chika-i (near — adjective)
2. 近ちかづく (…zuku) → chika-zuku (approach — verb)

Try 聞Hear.

1. 聞きく (…ku) → ki-ku (hear)
2. 聞きこえる (…koeru) → ki-koeru (be audible)

6. Strategies for Memorizing Okurigana

Remembering where okurigana goes can be hard, especially for the JLPT. Practical strategies:

1. Memorize as one sound unit. Do not store “tabe + ru.” Memorize the sound “taberu” while picturing 食べる. Your brain records the visual pattern naturally.
2. Watch transitive / intransitive pairs. They often share a kanji but differ in okurigana.
   • 落おちる (o-chiru) = fall (intransitive)
   • 落おとす (o-tosu) = drop (transitive) The changing part (chiru / tosu) is written in hiragana.
3. Read a lot. The more real text you read (NHK Easy, manga, lyrics), the stronger your instincts get. Misplaced okurigana will start to feel “wrong,” like a misspelled word in English.

7. Key Vocabulary

Conclusion

Okurigana is the “glue” between meaning (kanji) and grammar (hiragana). Without it, it is hard to tell whether someone “eats” (taberu), “wants to eat” (tabetai), or “does not eat” (tabenai).

Key points:

• Verbs and i-adjectives almost always have okurigana that changes under conjugation.
• Nouns usually have no okurigana.
• The same kanji can read differently depending on okurigana—a major reading clue.
• Transitive vs intransitive pairs often share a kanji but differ in okurigana (落ちる vs 落とす).
• Memorize each word as one sound unit, not as separate kanji + okurigana pieces.

Do not treat okurigana as extra memorization burden. Treat it as a hint that helps you read kanji correctly.

Related reading:

• Understanding furigana
• Learn hiragana
• Kanji for beginners

頑張がんばって！ (Ganbatte / Keep going!)

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