電 — how to write the kanji for “electricity”
電 (“electricity”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 268th most used kanji. Its parts: 雨 (“rain”, its radical), strokes 1–8; 日 (“day”), strokes 9–12, each finished before the next. Its 13 strokes make it one of the longest to write at N5. Its common words take the reading den: 電話 (“telephone call”), 電気 (“electricity”), 電力 (“electric power”) and 電子 (“electron”). Mainland Chinese writes it 电 (diàn, “lightning”), an HSK 1 character.
- Strokes
- 13
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 雨 (“rain”)
- On
- デン
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Dot ㇔top leftdownwards
- Horizontal hook ㇖top leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Dot ㇔top leftrightwards
- Dot ㇔leftrightwards
- Dot ㇔toprightwards
- Dot ㇔centerdown and right
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Vertical-curve-hook ㇟centerdownwards → rightwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (13 strokes in Japanese, 13 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- デン den
- Kun (native)
- none
- Meanings
- electricity
- Read den
- 電話 電気 電力 電子 電車 家電
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 268th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 전 jeon
- Common words
- 57 in JMdict
Words with 電
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電話 | でんわ denwa | telephone call; phone call |
| 電気 | でんき denki | electricity; (electric) light |
| 電力 | でんりょく denryoku | electric power |
| 電子 | でんし denshi | electron; electronic |
| 電車 | でんしゃ densha | train; electric train |
| 家電 | かでん kaden | household (electrical) appliances; home appliances |
| 発電 | はつでん hatsuden | generation of electricity; power generation |
| 電機 | でんき denki | electrical machinery; appliances |
| 電波 | でんぱ denpa | radio wave; reception |
| 発電所 | はつでんしょ hatsudensho | power plant; power station |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: