考 — how to write the kanji for “consider”
考 (“consider” and “think over”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 196th most used kanji. Japan and China use the same order, but stroke 5 is drawn differently. KANJIDIC2 files it under the radical 老 (“old man”). Read kou, it forms 参考 (“reference”), 選考 (“selection”) and 思考 (“thought”); the native reading kanga-eru gives 考え (“thinking”) and 考え方 (“way of thinking”). Chinese reads it kǎo, “to check”, at HSK 2.
- Strokes
- 6
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 老 (“old man”)
- On
- コウ
- Kun
- かんが·える, かんが·え
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Its parts sit one inside another: 耂 (“old”), strokes 1–4; 丂 (“obstruction of breath (qi) as it seeks release”), strokes 5–6, each finished before the next.
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
- Left-falling stroke ㇒rightdown and left
- Vertical-turn-curve-hook ㇉centerdownwards → rightwards → downwards
Japanese and Chinese
Same order, but stroke 5 differs: KanjiVG draws a left-falling stroke, Make Me a Hanzi a stroke that runs rightwards.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- コウ kou
- Kun (native)
- かんが·える kanga-eru, かんが·え kanga-e (rare)
- Meanings
- consider; think over
- Read kou
- 参考 選考 思考 考古学 考慮 再考
- Read kanga-eru
- 考え 考え方 考える
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 196th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 고 go
- Common words
- 17 in JMdict
Words with 考
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 考え | かんがえ kangae | thinking; thought |
| 考え方 | かんがえかた kangaekata | way of thinking; point of view |
| 参考 | さんこう sankou | reference; consultation |
| 選考 | せんこう senkou | selection; choice |
| 思考 | しこう shikou | thought; consideration |
| 考える | かんがえる kangaeru | to think (about, of); to think over |
| 考古学 | こうこがく koukogaku | archaeology; archeology |
| 考慮 | こうりょ kouryo | consideration; taking into account |
| 再考 | さいこう saikou | reconsideration |
| 考察 | こうさつ kousatsu | consideration; inquiry |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: