階(かい)

かい
counter
floors, stories
1. floors, stories (of a building)
A counter for floors or stories of a building.
私(わたし)の部屋(へや)は五(ご)階(かい)です。
My room is on the fifth floor.
何(なん)階(かい)に行(い)きますか。
What floor are you going to?
一(いっ)階(かい)にトイレがあります。
There is a restroom on the first floor.
いっかい with small っ
エレベーターで十(じゅっ)階(かい)まで行(い)きましょう。
Let's take the elevator to the tenth floor.
受付(うけつけ)は二(に)階(かい)にありますが、会議室(かいぎしつ)は五(ご)階(かい)にあります。
The reception is on the second floor, but the meeting room is on the fifth floor.

階(かい) counts building floors. Note the irregular readings:

  • 一(いっ)階(かい) (first floor - with っ)
  • 三(さん)階(がい) (third floor - voiced が)
  • 何(なん)階(がい) (what floor - voiced が). The first floor in Japan (1階) corresponds to the ground floor in British English. Unlike American English
  • there is no 'ground floor' and 'first floor' distinction.
core
Added 2026.1.7 21:03 · Revised 2026.2.23 22:24
01000/01034_kai