多 — how to write the kanji for “many”
多 means “many”, “frequent” and “much”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 139th most used kanji. It is also where katakana タ came from. Its parts sit stacked: 夕 (“evening”, its radical), strokes 1–3; 夕 (“evening”, its radical), strokes 4–6, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word ta, “multi-”. Read ta, it forms 多数 (“large number”), 多様 (“diverse”) and 多角 (“many-sided”); the native reading oo-i gives 数多く (“in great numbers”). Chinese reads it duō, “many”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 6
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 夕 (“evening”)
- On
- タ
- Kun
- おお·い, まさ·に, まさ·る
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
- Horizontal then left-falling ㇇toprightwards → down and left
- Dot ㇔topdown and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Horizontal then left-falling ㇇centerrightwards → down and left
- Dot ㇔centerdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (6 strokes in Japanese, 6 strokes in Chinese).
Kana from 多
- Katakana タ, one part of the kanji
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- タ ta
- Kun (native)
- おお·い oo-i, まさ·に masa-ni (rare), まさ·る masa-ru (rare)
- Meanings
- many; frequent; much
- Read ta
- 多数 多様 多角 最多 多彩 多額
- Read oo-i
- 数多く
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 139th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 다 da
- Common words
- 37 in JMdict
Words with 多
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 多数 | たすう tasuu | large number; many |
| 多様 | たよう tayou | diverse; various |
| 多角 | たかく takaku | many-sided; versatile |
| 最多 | さいた saita | most (numerous); largest (number of) |
| 多彩 | たさい tasai | colourful; colorful |
| 多額 | たがく tagaku | large (amount of money); huge |
| 多少 | たしょう tashou | a little; some |
| 数多く | かずおおく kazuooku | in great numbers |
| 多様化 | たようか tayouka | diversification |
| 多大 | ただい tadai | great (quantity, amount, etc.); huge |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: