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紙 — how to write the kanji for “paper”

紙 (“paper”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. Its parts sit side by side: 糸 (“thread”, its radical), strokes 1–6; 氏 (“family name”), strokes 7–10, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word kami, “paper”. Read shi, it forms 用紙 (“blank form”), 白紙 (“white paper”) and 紙面 (“space on a page”); the native reading kami gives 手紙 (“letter”). Mainland Chinese writes it 纸 (zhǐ, “paper”), an HSK 3 character.

Strokes
10
JLPT
N4
Radical
糸 (“thread”)
On
シ
Kun
かみ

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  1. Left-falling-turn ㇜top leftdownwards → rightwards
  2. Left-falling-turn ㇜top leftdown and left → rightwards
  3. Dot ㇔leftdown and right
  4. Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
  5. Left-falling stroke ㇒bottom leftdownwards
  6. Dot ㇔leftdown and right
  7. Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
  8. Vertical-rising ㇙topdownwards → up and right
  9. Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
  10. Slanted hook ㇂topdown and right

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (10 strokes in Japanese, 10 strokes in Chinese).

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Japanese · KanjiVG · 10 strokes
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Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 10 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived)
シ shi
Kun (native)
かみ kami
Meanings
paper
Read shi
用紙 白紙 紙面 機関紙 本紙 紙幣
Read kami
手紙
School year
second grade
Newspaper rank
559th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja
지 ji
Common words
28 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 紙

WordReadingMeaning
手紙てがみ tegamiletter; note
用紙ようし youshiblank form; sheets of paper
白紙はくし hakushiwhite paper; flyleaf
紙面しめん shimenspace on a page; surface of paper
機関紙きかんし kikanshibulletin; (party) organ
本紙ほんし honshimain section; central column
紙幣しへい shiheipaper money; note
表紙ひょうし hyoushicover; binding
和紙わし washiwashi; Japanese paper
新聞紙しんぶんし shinbunshinewsprint; newspaper used for wrapping, packing, etc.

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: