習

音読おんよみ: シュウ

訓読くんよみ: ならう

画数かくすう: 11

部首ぶしゅ: 羽（はね）

Meaning

Learn / Practice / Habit

  • Basic forms
  • 習う — to learn; to take lessons / base form
  • 習います — (I) learn; take lessons / masu form
  • 習った — learned; took lessons / ta form
  • 習って — learn and …; take lessons and … / te-form
  • 習わない — do not learn; don’t take lessons / negative form
  • 習えば — if (you) learn; if (you) take lessons / conditional
  • 習え・習いなさい — learn!; take lessons! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 習いたい — want to learn; want to take lessons / 〜たい form
  • 習える — can learn; be able to learn / potential
  • 習えた — was able to learn / past potential
  • 習えない — cannot learn; can’t take lessons / negative potential
  • More
  • 習おう — let’s learn; let’s take lessons / 〜よう form
  • 習わなかった — didn’t learn; didn’t take lessons / past negative
  • 習っている — is learning; is taking lessons / progressive

習う（ならう） is a godan verb ending in う. Stem shifts as 習わ → 習い → 習っ, as seen in 習う・習います・習って・習った. Often used for learning a skill from someone: ピアノを習う, 先生に日本語を習う.

  • 習慣しゅうかん — habit; custom
  • 学習がくしゅう — study; learning
  • 練習れんしゅう — practice; training
  • 復習ふくしゅう — review (of learned material)
  • 自習じしゅう — self-study

習 combines the elements 羽 (feather, wings) and 白 (sun/day form). The image suggests flapping wings repeatedly — a metaphor for practicing or learning through repetition. That’s why 習 appears in many words related to study and habit.

日本語にほんごを習ならっています。
I am learning Japanese.

毎日まいにち練習れんしゅうすれば、上手じょうずになります。
If you practice every day, you’ll get better.

慣
Creates
習慣しゅうかん — habit; custom
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