気 — how to write the kanji for “spirit”
気 means “spirit”, “mind” and “air”; it is a JLPT N5 kanji, taught in first grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 113th most used kanji. It starts with the left-falling sweep, before the horizontal that crosses it. On its own it is the word ki, “spirit; mind”. You will meet it in 人気 (“popularity”), 景気 (“business conditions”) and 気持ち (“feeling”).
- Strokes
- 6
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 气 (“spirit”)
- On
- ケ, キ
- Kun
- いき, き
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Its parts sit one inside another: 气 (“spirit”, its radical), strokes 1–4; 乂 (“mow”), strokes 5–6, each finished before the next.
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdown and left
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal-turn-curve-hook ㇈leftrightwards → downwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Dot ㇔leftdown and right
The trap in 気
Stroke 1 is the left-falling stroke and stroke 2 the horizontal, the same as in 右; 左 does the opposite.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ケ ke, キ ki (rare)
- Kun (native)
- いき iki (rare), き ki (rare)
- Meanings
- spirit; mind; air; atmosphere; mood
- School year
- first grade
- Newspaper rank
- 113th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 기 gi
- Common words
- 139 in JMdict
Words with 気
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 人気 | にんき ninki | popularity; public favor |
| 景気 | けいき keiki | business conditions; the market |
| 気持ち | きもち kimochi | feeling; sensation |
| 病気 | びょうき byouki | illness; disease |
| 電気 | でんき denki | electricity; (electric) light |
| 一気 | いっき ikki | one breath; chug! |
| 気分 | きぶん kibun | feeling; mood |
| 空気 | くうき kuuki | air; atmosphere |
| 雰囲気 | ふんいき fun'iki | atmosphere; mood |
| 大気 | たいき taiki | atmosphere; air |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: