以 — how to write the kanji for “by means of”
以 means “by means of”, “because” and “in view of”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in fourth grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 126th most used kanji. The Japanese data draws 5 strokes and the Chinese data 4 strokes. Read i, it forms 以来 (“since”), 以内 (“within”) and 以前 (“before”); the native reading mo-tte gives 以て (“with”). Chinese reads it yǐ, “to use”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 5
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 人 (“person”)
- On
- イ
- Kun
- もっ·て
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Its parts: 丶 (“dot”), stroke 3; 人 (“person”, its radical), strokes 4–5, each finished before the next.
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Rising stroke ㇀bottom leftrightwards → up and right
- Dot ㇔topdown and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
- Dot ㇔rightdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
KanjiVG draws it with 5 strokes and Make Me a Hanzi with 4 strokes. The reference lists do not confirm both counts, so this can be a convention of the two data sets rather than a difference in how it is taught.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- イ i
- Kun (native)
- もっ·て mo-tte
- Meanings
- by means of; because; in view of; compared with
- Read i
- 以来 以内 以前 以下 以後 以上
- Read mo-tte
- 以て
- School year
- fourth grade
- Newspaper rank
- 126th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 이 i
- Common words
- 10 in JMdict
Words with 以
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以来 | いらい irai | since; henceforth |
| 以内 | いない inai | within; inside of |
| 以前 | いぜん izen | before; prior to |
| 以下 | いか ika | not exceeding ...; not more than ... |
| 以後 | いご igo | after this; from now on |
| 以上 | いじょう ijou | not less than ...; ... and over |
| 以降 | いこう ikou | on and after; from ... onward |
| 以外 | いがい igai | excluding; except (for) |
| 以て | もって motte | with; by |
| 予想以上 | よそういじょう yosouijou | more than expected |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: