乾

音読おんよみ: カン

訓読くんよみ: かわく・かわかす

画数かくすう: 11

部首ぶしゅ: 乙（おつ）

Meaning

Dry / Arid / (toast) Drink Up.

  • 乾かわく — to dry / to become dry
  • 乾かわかす — to dry (something)
  • 乾燥かんそう — dryness / dehydration / to dry
  • 乾季かんき — dry season
  • 乾電池かんでんち — dry cell battery
  • 乾麺かんめん — dried noodles
  • 乾杯かんぱい — cheers! / toast (“drink up”)

乾 centers on the idea of drying. You’ll meet it in everyday words like 乾燥 (dryness) and 乾電池 (dry cell). In a toast, 乾杯 literally paints the picture “dry the cup” — empty it — which is why カンパイ! means “Cheers!”.

干

Picture 干ほす — to hang things out to dry. Add sun and wind in your mind: the air pulls out the moisture until it’s crisp. That’s 乾: dry, arid… and when friends raise glasses, “dry the cup!” — 乾杯.

杯
Creates

乾杯かんぱい — cheers! (to drain the cup)

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