知 — how to write the kanji for “know”
知 (“know” and “wisdom”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 205th most used kanji. It is also where hiragana ち came from. Its parts sit side by side: 矢 (“dart”, its radical), strokes 1–5; 口 (“mouth”), strokes 6–8, each finished before the next. Read chi, it forms 知恵 (“wisdom”), 知的 (“intellectual”) and 通知 (“notice”); the native reading shi-ru gives 知る (“to know”) and 知らん顔 (“feigned ignorance”). Chinese reads it zhī, “to know”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 8
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 矢 (“dart”)
- On
- チ
- Kun
- し·らせる, し·る
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdown and left
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdownwards → down and left
- Dot ㇔centerdown and right
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕centerrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottomrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 8 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Kana from 知
- Hiragana ち, cursive of the whole kanji
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- チ chi
- Kun (native)
- し·らせる shi-raseru, し·る shi-ru (rare)
- Meanings
- know; wisdom
- Read chi
- 知恵 知的 通知
- Read shi-ru
- 知る 知らん顔
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 205th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 지 ji
- Common words
- 52 in JMdict
Words with 知
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 知事 | ちじ chiji | prefectural governor |
| 知る | しる shiru | to know; to be aware |
| 知らん顔 | しらんかお shirankao | feigned ignorance; pretending not to know |
| 県知事 | けんちじ kenchiji | prefectural governor |
| 知人 | ちじん chijin | friend; acquaintance |
| 知識 | ちしき chishiki | knowledge; information |
| 知恵 | ちえ chie | wisdom; wit |
| 知的 | ちてき chiteki | intellectual |
| 通知 | つうち tsuuchi | notice; notification |
| 副知事 | ふくちじ fukuchiji | vice-governor; deputy governor |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: