七 — how to write the kanji for “seven”
七 is the number 7, a JLPT N5 kanji, taught in first grade in Japan. With 2 strokes it is among the simplest kanji of N5. On its own it is the word shichi, “seven”. Read shichi, it forms 七月 (“July”), 七七日 (“49th day after death”) and 七福神 (“Seven Gods of Fortune”); the native reading nana gives 十七 (“seventeen”) and 七十 (“seventy”). Chinese reads it qī, “seven”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 2
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 一 (“one”)
- On
- シチ
- Kun
- なな·つ, なの, なな
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
Its parts: 一 (“one”, its radical), stroke 1; 乙 (“second”), stroke 2, each finished before the next.
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical-curve ㇄topdownwards → rightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 2 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
七 in dates and counts
- 七月 しちがつ — July; seventh month of the lunar calendar
- 十七 じゅうなな — seventeen; 17
- 七十 ななじゅう — seventy; 70
- 七七日 しちしちにち — 49th day after death
- 二七日 ふたなぬか — second week's memorial services
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- シチ shichi
- Kun (native)
- なな·つ nana-tsu, なの nano, なな nana (rare)
- Meanings
- seven
- Read shichi
- 七月 七七日 七福神 七五三
- Read nana
- 十七 七十 七つ
- Read nano
- 七日
- School year
- first grade
- Newspaper rank
- 115th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 칠 chil
- Common words
- 13 in JMdict
Words with 七
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 七月 | しちがつ shichigatsu | July; seventh month of the lunar calendar |
| 十七 | じゅうなな juunana | seventeen; 17 |
| 七十 | ななじゅう nanajuu | seventy; 70 |
| 七七日 | しちしちにち shichishichinichi | 49th day after death |
| 二七日 | ふたなぬか futananuka | second week's memorial services |
| 七つ | ななつ nanatsu | seven; seven years of age |
| 七夕 | たなばた tanabata | Star Festival (held in July or August); Tanabata |
| 七福神 | しちふくじん shichifukujin | Seven Gods of Fortune; Seven Deities of Good Luck |
| 七五三 | しちごさん shichigosan | shichi-go-san; 7-5-3 day |
| 七日 | なのか nanoka | 7th day of the month; seven days |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: