額

• Reading: がく
• Romaji: gaku
• Kanji breakdown: 額 (gaku/hitai) — forehead, amount, frame
• Pronunciation: /ɡa.kɯ/

Meaning

Forehead; brow. The upper part of the face above the eyebrows.

A noun with multiple readings and meanings. As がく, it can refer to the forehead (a literary reading — the everyday word is ひたい/hitai), an amount of money (金額 kingaku, 総額 sougaku), or a framed picture or plaque (額縁 gakubuchi). The forehead meaning appears in classical texts and formal descriptions. At N3 level, learners should recognize all meanings of this kanji.

Examples

1. 汗が額から流れ落ちた。 People with good education are interesting to talk to.
2. 帽子を深くかぶって額を隠した。 He taught himself English on his own.
3. 子供が転んで額にたんこぶができた。 I'm majoring in economics at university.

Usage Guide

Context: body, description, literature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 額 combines 客 (kyaku, guest) and 頁 (page/head), referring to the top part of the head — the forehead. The guest component provides the phonetic reading.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal