持 — how to write the kanji for “hold”

持 (“hold” and “have”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in third grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 119th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 1 on reading and 3 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 扌 (“hand”), strokes 1–3; 寺 (“Buddhist temple”), strokes 4–9, each finished before the next. Its native reading mo-tsu leads in its common words, as in 気持ち (“feeling”) and 持ち (“having”); read ji it forms 支持 (“support”). Chinese reads it chí, “to hold”, at HSK 3.

Strokes: 9
JLPT: N4
Radical: 手 (“hand”)
On: ジ
Kun: も·てる, も·つ, -も·ち

Stroke by stroke

Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
Vertical hook ㇚top leftdownwards
Rising stroke ㇀leftup and right
Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
Vertical ㇑topdownwards
Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
Vertical hook ㇚rightdownwards
Dot ㇔bottomdown and right

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 9 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 9 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 9 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived): ジ ji
Kun (native): も·てる mo-teru, も·つ mo-tsu (rare), -も·ち -mo-chi (rare)
Meanings: hold; have
Read mo-tsu: 気持ち持ち持ち込む持つ金持ち
Read ji: 支持維持保持持続
School year: third grade
Newspaper rank: 119th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja: 지 ji
Common words: 47 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 持

Word	Reading	Meaning
支持	しじ shiji	support; backing
維持	いじ iji	maintenance; preservation
気持ち	きもち kimochi	feeling; sensation
保持	ほじ hoji	retention; maintenance
持ち	もち mochi	having; holding
持ち込む	もちこむ mochikomu	to bring in; to take in
持つ	もつ motsu	to hold; to take
持続	じぞく jizoku	continuation; persisting
持ち味	もちあじ mochiaji	inherent flavor; inherent flavour
金持ち	かねもち kanemochi	rich person; wealthy person

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: