映 — how to write the kanji for “reflect”
映 means “reflect”, “reflection” and “projection”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in sixth grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 404th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 1 on reading and 4 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 日 (“day”, its radical), strokes 1–4; 央 (“center”), strokes 5–9, each finished before the next. Read ei, it forms 映画 (“movie”), 映像 (“image (on a screen)”) and 上映 (“screening (a movie)”); the native reading utsu-ru gives 映し出す (“to project”) and 映る (“to be reflected”). Chinese reads it yìng, “to become visible”, at HSK 5.
- Strokes
- 9
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 日 (“day”)
- On
- エイ
- Kun
- うつ·る, は·える, うつ·す
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards → down and left
- Right-falling stroke ㇏centerdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 9 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- エイ ei
- Kun (native)
- うつ·る utsu-ru, は·える ha-eru, うつ·す utsu-su (rare), -ば·え -ba-e (rare)
- Meanings
- reflect; reflection; projection
- Read ei
- 映画 映像 上映 放映 映画館
- Read utsu-ru
- 映し出す 映る 映す
- Read ha-eru
- 映える
- School year
- sixth grade
- Newspaper rank
- 404th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 영 yeong
- Common words
- 10 in JMdict
Words with 映
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 映画 | えいが eiga | movie; film |
| 映像 | えいぞう eizou | image (on a screen); picture |
| 上映 | じょうえい jouei | screening (a movie); showing |
| 放映 | ほうえい houei | televising; broadcasting |
| 映画館 | えいがかん eigakan | movie theatre; movie theater |
| 反映 | はんえい han'ei | reflection; reflection |
| 映し出す | うつしだす utsushidasu | to project; to show (on a screen) |
| 映る | うつる utsuru | to be reflected; to harmonize with (harmonise) |
| 映す | うつす utsusu | to project; to reflect |
| 映える | はえる haeru | to shine; to glow |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: