electricity

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The on reading is でん, and no kun reading is listed. It has 13 strokes. It appears in words for electricity and telephones.
• Basic usage: 電気 is read でんき and 電話 is read でんわ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 電気 / 電話
  • 電気 means electricity or light and is read でんき. It refers to electricity that powers devices or to an electric light in a room.
  • 電気を無駄にしないよう、使わない機器の電源を切った。 means “I turned off unused appliances to avoid wasting electricity.”
  • 電話 means telephone or phone call and is read でんわ. It refers to a phone call made to someone or a telephone on a desk.
  • 母に電話をかけて帰宅時間を伝えた。 means “I called my mother and told her when I would be home.”