書 · to write

JLPT N5 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.

書 means to write. It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 10 strokes, read かく or しょ. It is built from 2 parts: 聿 (brush, finally), 日 (day, sun). It appears in 書く (to write) and 辞書 (dictionary).

筆順 · Stroke order

書 is written in 10 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.

解字 · What it is made of

書 breaks into 2 parts.

• 聿 semantic brush, finally · top carries the meaning
• 日 semantic day, sun · bottom carries the meaning

Words that use 書

Word	Reading	Meaning
書く	かく	to write
辞書	じしょ	dictionary
葉書	はがき	postcard

Built from the same parts

These use 聿 or 日 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.

• 時time
• 曜day of week
• 明bright
• 映to reflect
• 早early
• 春springtime
• 者someone
• 音sound

Practise 書

Sumi teaches the character before it tests you: stroke order animated, the breakdown above shown as a pull-apart X-ray, then spaced review. Free, in your browser, no signup.

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