# 役 — role; duty

役 means “role; duty”. It is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 7 strokes. On'yomi: ヤク (yaku), エキ (eki). It has no common kun'yomi. You'll see it in words such as 役 (yaku, “role; assignment”).

- Meaning: role; duty
- On'yomi: ヤク (yaku), エキ (eki)
- Kun'yomi: —
- Strokes: 7
- Level: JLPT N3 · set Work

## How to remember 役

Stepping (彳) up with a sail (几) in hand (又): everyone has a role.

Parts: 彳 stepping · 殳 club

## Words with 役

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 役 | やく (yaku) | role; assignment |

## Don't confuse it with

[投](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/throw/) · [般](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/general-kind/) · [没](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/sink-out-of-sight/) · [疫](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/epidemic/)

## More in the “Work” set

[務](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/duty/) · [任](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/responsibility/) · [職](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/occupation/) · [役](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/role/) · [副](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/deputy/) · [労](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/labour/) · [製](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/manufacture/)

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/role/. Last updated 2026-11-01.