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漢 — how to write the kanji for “Sino-”

漢 (“Sino-” and “China”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in third grade in Japan. Japan writes it with 13 strokes, China with 14 strokes. KANJIDIC2 files it under the radical 水 (“water”). Its common words take the reading kan: 漢字 (“kanji”), 漢方薬 (“Chinese herbal medicine”), 漢方 (“kampō”) and 漢文 (“Chinese classical writing”). Mainland Chinese writes it 汉 (hàn, “Chinese”), an HSK 1 character.

Strokes
13
JLPT
N4
Radical
水 (“water”)
On
カン

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13

Its parts: 氵 (“water”), strokes 1–3; 艹 (“grass”), strokes 4–6; 口 (“mouth”), strokes 7–9; 夫 (“husband”), strokes 10–13, each finished before the next.

  1. Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
  2. Dot ㇔leftdown and right
  3. Rising stroke ㇀bottom leftrightwards → up and right
  4. Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
  5. Vertical ㇑topdownwards
  6. Vertical ㇑top rightdownwards
  7. Vertical ㇑topdownwards
  8. Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
  9. Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
  10. Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
  11. Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
  12. Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards → down and left
  13. Right-falling stroke ㇏bottomdown and right

Japanese and Chinese

Japan writes it with 13 strokes and China with 14 strokes, and both counts match the reference lists (KANJIDIC2, Unihan).

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Japanese · KanjiVG · 13 strokes
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Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 14 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived)
カン kan
Kun (native)
none
Meanings
Sino-; China
Read kan
漢字 漢方薬 漢方 漢文 漢詩 巨漢
School year
third grade
Newspaper rank
1487th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja
한 han
Common words
10 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 漢

WordReadingMeaning
漢字かんじ kanjikanji; Chinese character
漢方薬かんぽうやく kanpouyakuChinese herbal medicine
漢方かんぽう kanpoukampō; traditional (herbal) medicine based on ancient Chinese…
漢文かんぶん kanbunChinese classical writing; Chinese classics
漢詩かんし kanshiChinese poem; Chinese poetry
巨漢きょかん kyokangiant
漢語かんご kangoJapanese word of Chinese origin; Sino-Japanese word
門外漢もんがいかん mongaikanoutsider; layman
漢和かんわ kanwaChina and Japan; Chinese and Japanese (languages)
常用漢字じょうようかんじ jouyoukanjijōyō kanji; kanji for common use

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: