研 — how to write the kanji for “polish”
研 means “polish”, “study of” and “sharpen”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in third grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 336th most used kanji. It starts with the horizontal; the sweep that crosses it comes second. Its common words take the reading ken: 研究 (“research”), 研究所 (“research institute”), 研修 (“training”) and 研究者 (“researcher”). Chinese reads it yán, “research”, at HSK 4.
- Strokes
- 9
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 石 (“stone”)
- On
- ケン
- Kun
- と·ぐ
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Its parts sit side by side: 石 (“stone”, its radical), strokes 1–5; 开 (“open”), strokes 6–9, each finished before the next.
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdownwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards → down and left
- 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 (9 strokes in Japanese, 9 strokes in Chinese).
The trap in 研
Stroke 1 is the horizontal and stroke 2 the left-falling stroke, as in 左; 右 flips them.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ケン ken
- Kun (native)
- と·ぐ to-gu
- Meanings
- polish; study of; sharpen
- Read ken
- 研究 研究所 研修 研究者 研究員 研究室
- School year
- third grade
- Newspaper rank
- 336th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 연 yeon
- Common words
- 13 in JMdict
Words with 研
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 研究 | けんきゅう kenkyuu | research; study |
| 研究所 | けんきゅうじょ kenkyuujo | research institute; (research) laboratory |
| 研修 | けんしゅう kenshuu | training; induction course |
| 研究者 | けんきゅうしゃ kenkyuusha | researcher |
| 研究員 | けんきゅういん kenkyuuin | researcher; lab worker |
| 研究室 | けんきゅうしつ kenkyuushitsu | laboratory; seminar room |
| 研究家 | けんきゅうか kenkyuuka | researcher; student |
| 経済研究所 | けいざいけんきゅうじょ keizaikenkyuujo | economic research institute |
| 研究官 | けんきゅうかん kenkyuukan | research officer |
| 研磨 | けんま kenma | grinding; polishing |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: