親 — how to write the kanji for “parent”
親 means “parent”, “intimacy” and “relative”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 406th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 1 on reading and 4 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts: 立 (“stand up”), strokes 1–5; 木 (“tree”), strokes 6–9; 見 (“see”, its radical), strokes 10–16, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word oya, “parent; parents”. Read shin, it forms 両親 (“parents”), 親類 (“relative”) and 肉親 (“blood relationship”); the native reading oya gives 母親 (“mother”) and 父親 (“father”). Mainland Chinese writes it 亲 (qīn, “one's own”), an HSK 4 character.
- Strokes
- 16
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 見 (“see”)
- On
- シン
- Kun
- おや-, した·しむ, おや
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Dot ㇔top leftdownwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒leftdown and left
- Dot ㇔leftdown and right
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Vertical-curve-hook ㇟rightdownwards → rightwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (16 strokes in Japanese, 16 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- シン shin
- Kun (native)
- おや- oya-, した·しむ shita-shimu, おや oya (rare), した·しい shita-shii (rare)
- Meanings
- parent; intimacy; relative; familiarity; dealer (cards)
- Read oya
- 母親 父親 親子 親方 親会社
- Read shin
- 両親 親類 肉親 親善 親族
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 406th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 친 chin
- Common words
- 36 in JMdict
Words with 親
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| 父親 | ちちおや chichioya | father |
| 両親 | りょうしん ryoushin | parents; both parents |
| 親子 | おやこ oyako | parent and child |
| 親方 | おやかた oyakata | master; boss |
| 親類 | しんるい shinrui | relative; relation |
| 肉親 | にくしん nikushin | blood relationship; blood relative |
| 親善 | しんぜん shinzen | friendship; goodwill |
| 親族 | しんぞく shinzoku | relative; relation |
| 親会社 | おやがいしゃ oyagaisha | parent company |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: