画 — how to write the kanji for “brush-stroke”
画 (“brush-stroke” and “picture”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 199th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 4 on readings and 5 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts: 一 (“one”), stroke 1; 田 (“rice field”, its radical), strokes 2–6; 凵 (“open box”), strokes 7–8, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word kaku, “stroke”. Its common words take the reading ga: 映画 (“movie”), 絵画 (“painting”), 画面 (“screen”) and 漫画 (“cartoon”). Chinese reads it huà, “to draw”, at HSK 2.
- Strokes
- 8
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 田 (“rice field”)
- On
- ガ, カク, エ
- Kun
- えが·く, かく·する, かぎ·る
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕leftrightwards → downwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Vertical-curve ㇄leftdownwards → rightwards
- Vertical ㇑top rightdownwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (8 strokes in Japanese, 8 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ガ ga, カク kaku, エ e (rare), カイ kai (rare)
- Kun (native)
- えが·く ega-ku (rare), かく·する kaku-suru (rare), かぎ·る kagi-ru (rare), はかりごと hakarigoto (rare), はか·る haka-ru (rare)
- Meanings
- brush-stroke; picture
- Read ga
- 映画 絵画 画面 漫画 画家 画像
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 199th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 화 hwa
- Common words
- 42 in JMdict
Words with 画
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 映画 | えいが eiga | movie; film |
| 計画 | けいかく keikaku | plan; project |
| 企画 | きかく kikaku | planning; plan |
| 絵画 | かいが kaiga | painting; picture |
| 画面 | がめん gamen | screen; image (on a screen) |
| 漫画 | まんが manga | cartoon; comic |
| 画家 | がか gaka | painter; artist |
| 画像 | がぞう gazou | image; picture |
| 経済企画庁 | けいざいきかくちょう keizaikikakuchou | Economic Planning Agency (1955-2001) |
| 画廊 | がろう garou | art gallery; picture gallery |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: