JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
国 means country, nation. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 8 strokes, read くに or こく. It is built from 3 parts: 囗 (box, box or enclosure radical (no. 31)), 玉 (jewel, ball), 囗 (box, box or enclosure radical (no. 31)). It appears in 外国 (foreign country) and 外国人 (foreigner).
国 is written in 8 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
国 breaks into 3 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 国 | くに | country |
| 外国 | がいこく | foreign country |
| 外国人 | がいこくじん | foreigner |
These use 囗 or 玉 or 囗 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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