建 — how to write the kanji for “build”
建 (“build”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in fourth grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 300th most used kanji. The Japanese data draws 9 strokes and the Chinese data 8 strokes. Read ken, it forms 建設 (“construction”), 再建 (“rebuilding”) and 建築 (“construction”); the native reading ta-teru gives 建物 (“building”) and 二階建て (“two-storied building”). Chinese reads it jiàn, “to establish”, at HSK 4.
- Strokes
- 9
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 廴 (“long stride or stretching radical”)
- On
- ケン, コン
- Kun
- -だ·て, た·てる, た·て
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Its parts sit one inside another: 聿 (“brush”), strokes 1–6; 廴 (“long stride or stretching radical”, its radical), strokes 7–9, each finished before the next.
- Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal then left-falling ㇇top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal then left-falling ㇇leftrightwards → down and left
- Right-falling stroke ㇏leftrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
KanjiVG draws it with 9 strokes and Make Me a Hanzi with 8 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)
- ケン ken, コン kon (rare)
- Kun (native)
- -だ·て -da-te, た·てる ta-teru, た·て ta-te (rare), た·つ ta-tsu (rare)
- Meanings
- build
- Read ken
- 建設 再建 建築 建設省 建国 建造物
- Read ta-teru
- 建物 二階建て 建前
- School year
- fourth grade
- Newspaper rank
- 300th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 건 geon
- Common words
- 24 in JMdict
Words with 建
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 建設 | けんせつ kensetsu | construction; establishment |
| 再建 | さいけん saiken | rebuilding; reconstruction |
| 建物 | たてもの tatemono | building |
| 建築 | けんちく kenchiku | construction; architecture |
| 建設省 | けんせつしょう kensetsushou | Ministry of Construction |
| 二階建て | にかいだて nikaidate | two-storied building |
| 建前 | たてまえ tatemae | face; official stance |
| 建国 | けんこく kenkoku | founding of a nation |
| 建造物 | けんぞうぶつ kenzoubutsu | structure; building |
| 建設的 | けんせつてき kensetsuteki | constructive |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: