型【がた】

型 after a noun means "type" or "model": the category, design or size class something belongs to. As a suffix it is read がた. The compound is a noun, so it takes の before another noun.

Size classes

With おお大, なか中 and しょう小, 型 gives a size class. You hear these with vehicles, appliances, animals and storms.

Blood types

Blood types are A型, B型, O型 and AB型, and "what's your blood type?" is なん何がた型ですか. The question comes up in small talk.

型 or タイプ

たいぷタイプ is the everyday word for a kind of person or thing, and it is free: やさしい優しいたいぷタイプ, すき好きなたいぷタイプ. 型 sits in fixed compounds and in product, technical and official classifications. For a type of person it sounds more like a label.

Usage notes

These go beyond "type" and "model".

Shapes

After a letter or a shape, 型 means "-shaped".

Other readings

On its own, 型 is read かた and means a mould or set form: かた型をとる取る, "to take a mould". In some Sino-Japanese words it is けい: てんけい典型, もけい模型.