StrokeFox
123456789101112

運 — how to write the kanji for “carry”

運 means “carry”, “luck” and “destiny”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in third grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 255th most used kanji. Its ⻌ (“walking”) sits on the left but is written last, strokes 10–12 of 12. KANJIDIC2 files it under the radical 辵 (“walk”). On its own it is the word un, “fortune; luck”. Read un, it forms 運動 (“exercise”), 運営 (“management”) and 運転 (“operation”); the native reading hako-bu gives 運ぶ (“to carry”). Mainland Chinese writes it 运 (yùn, “to move”), an HSK 2 character.

Strokes
12
JLPT
N4
Radical
辵 (“walk”)
On
ウン
Kun
はこ·ぶ

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12

Its parts sit one inside another: 軍 (“army”), strokes 1–9; ⻌ (“walking”), strokes 10–12, each finished before the next.

  1. Dot ㇔topdownwards
  2. Horizontal hook ㇖toprightwards
  3. Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
  4. Vertical ㇑topdownwards
  5. Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
  6. Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
  7. Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
  8. Horizontal ㇐bottomrightwards
  9. Vertical ㇑topdownwards
  10. Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
  11. Horizontal, turn, turn, left-falling ㇋leftrightwards → downwards → down and right
  12. Right-falling stroke ㇏bottom leftrightwards

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (12 strokes in Japanese, 12 strokes in Chinese).

123456789101112
Japanese · KanjiVG · 12 strokes
123456789101112
Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 12 strokes

The trap in 運

Write 軍 (“army”) first, strokes 1–9, and finish with ⻌ (“walking”), strokes 10–12.

Kanji stroke order rules

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived)
ウン un
Kun (native)
はこ·ぶ hako-bu
Meanings
carry; luck; destiny; fate; lot; transport
Read un
運動 運営 運転 運用 運輸 運輸省
Read hako-bu
運ぶ
School year
third grade
Newspaper rank
255th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja
운 un
Common words
35 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 運

WordReadingMeaning
運動うんどう undouexercise; physical training
運営うんえい un'eimanagement; administration
運転うんてん untenoperation; running
運用うんよう un'youmaking use of; application
運輸うんゆ un'yutransportation
運輸省うんゆしょう un'yushouMinistry of Transport
運転手うんてんしゅ untenshudriver; chauffeur
運ぶはこぶ hakobuto carry; to transport
運賃うんちん unchin(passenger) fare; freight rates
機運きうん kiunopportunity; chance

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: