究 — how to write the kanji for “research”

究 (“research” and “study”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in third grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 368th most used kanji. Its parts sit stacked: 穴 (“hole”, its radical), strokes 1–5; 九 (“nine”), strokes 6–7, each finished before the next. Its common words take the reading kyuu: 研究 (“research”), 研究所 (“research institute”), 研究者 (“researcher”) and 究明 (“investigation”). Chinese reads it jiū, “after all”, at HSK 4.

Strokes: 7
JLPT: N4
Radical: 穴 (“hole”)
On: キュウ, ク
Kun: きわ·める

Stroke by stroke

Vertical ㇑topdownwards
Dot ㇔top leftdownwards
Horizontal hook ㇖top leftrightwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
Vertical-curve-hook ㇟topdown and right → rightwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdownwards → down and left
Horizontal-turn-curve-hook ㇈leftrightwards → downwards → rightwards

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 7 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 7 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 7 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived): キュウ kyuu, ク ku (rare)
Kun (native): きわ·める kiwa-meru (rare)
Meanings: research; study
Read kyuu: 研究研究所研究者究明研究員研究室
School year: third grade
Newspaper rank: 368th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja: 구 gu
Common words: 15 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 究

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
研究者	けんきゅうしゃ kenkyuusha	researcher
究明	きゅうめい kyuumei	investigation; finding out the facts
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
究極	きゅうきょく kyuukyoku	ultimate; final
研究官	けんきゅうかん kenkyuukan	research officer

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: