毎 — how to write the kanji for “every”
毎 (“every”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 436th most used kanji. It starts with the left-falling sweep, before the horizontal that crosses it. On its own it is the word goto, “each; every”. Read mai, it forms 毎日 (“every day”), 毎年 (“every year”) and 毎月 (“every month”); the native reading goto gives 毎に (“one by one”).
- Strokes
- 6
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 毋 (“do not”)
- On
- マイ
- Kun
- -ごと·に, ごと
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Its parts sit stacked: 𠂉 (“person”), strokes 1–2; 毋 (“do not”, its radical), strokes 3–6, each finished before the next.
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Left-falling then dot ㇛topdownwards → rightwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆toprightwards → downwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
The trap in 毎
Stroke 1 is the left-falling stroke and stroke 2 the horizontal, the same as in 右; 左 does the opposite.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- マイ mai
- Kun (native)
- -ごと·に -goto-ni, ごと goto (rare)
- Meanings
- every
- Read mai
- 毎日 毎年 毎月 毎週 毎回 毎朝
- Read goto
- 毎に
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 436th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 매 mae
- Common words
- 11 in JMdict
Words with 毎
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 毎日 | まいにち mainichi | every day; daily |
| 毎年 | まいとし maitoshi | every year; yearly |
| 毎月 | まいつき maitsuki | every month; each month |
| 毎週 | まいしゅう maishuu | every week |
| 毎回 | まいかい maikai | every time; each round |
| 毎朝 | まいあさ maiasa | every morning |
| 毎晩 | まいばん maiban | every night |
| 毎度 | まいど maido | each time; every time |
| 毎時 | まいじ maiji | every hour; hourly |
| 毎に | ごとに gotoni | one by one; each |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: