絵

• Reading: え
• Romaji: e
• Kanji breakdown: 絵 (e/kai) — picture, drawing, painting
• Pronunciation: /e/

Meaning

Picture; drawing; painting; sketch. A general term for visual artwork.

A broad noun covering any type of picture or illustration, from children's crayon drawings to professional oil paintings. Often combined with other words: 絵本 (ehon, picture book), 油絵 (aburae, oil painting), 絵の具 (enogu, paint).

Examples

1. 妹は絵を描くのが上手です。 My little sister is good at drawing pictures.
2. 美術館できれいな絵を見ました。 I saw beautiful paintings at the art museum.
3. この絵は誰が描きましたか。 Who painted this picture?

Usage Guide

Context: art, hobbies, school

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 絵 originally depicted silk threads being dyed with colour, reflecting the connection between weaving patterns and visual representation.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal