Meaning

Primary

Subtraction

Word Type

noun

Explanation

Remember how 引く means "to subtract?" Add calculate to that and you'll have subtraction! It's the type of calculation you're doing when you subtract.

Reading

ひきざん
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is the kun'yomi reading for and the on'yomi for . And the さん reading is rendaku'd into ざん. This is the same for all the math-ish words (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), so try to remember that, because you'll see it again!

Context

Pattern of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 引き算をする

    to do subtraction

    引き算を教える

    to teach subtraction

    引き算を学ぶ

    to learn subtraction

Context Sentences

もちろん、わたしは引き算ができます!

Of course I can do subtraction!

引き算は、たとえば「六から二を引いて、答えが四」ということです。

A subtraction, for example, is "subtracting two from six equals four."

小学校三年生レベルの引き算なのに、答えがどうしても分からない。

Although it is a elementary school third grade level subtraction problem, I still can't figure out the answer.

Kanji Composition