青 — how to write the kanji for “blue”
青 (“blue” and “green”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in first grade in Japan. Its Japanese stroke 2, a vertical, is the 3rd stroke in the Chinese order. KANJIDIC2 files it under the radical 靑 (“blue”). On its own it is the word ao, “blue; azure”. Read sei, it forms 青年 (“youth”), 青山 (“lush mountain”) and 青春 (“youth”); the native reading ao gives 青木 (“Japanese laurel…”) and 青空 (“blue sky”). Chinese reads it qīng, “youth”, at HSK 4.
- Strokes
- 8
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 靑 (“blue”)
- On
- セイ, ショウ
- Kun
- あお·い, あお, あお-
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Its parts sit stacked: 龶 (“life”), strokes 1–4; 月 (“moon or flesh”), strokes 5–8, each finished before the next.
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
Two stroke orders
Japan and China order its strokes differently: 2 strokes sit in another place. Japanese 2 = Chinese 3; Japanese 3 = Chinese 2.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- セイ sei, ショウ shou
- Kun (native)
- あお·い ao-i, あお ao (rare), あお- ao- (rare)
- Meanings
- blue; green
- Read sei
- 青年 青山 青春 青少年 青果
- Read ao
- 青木 青空 青葉 青写真 青梅
- School year
- first grade
- Newspaper rank
- 589th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 청 cheong
- Common words
- 22 in JMdict
Words with 青
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 青年 | せいねん seinen | youth; young man |
| 青山 | せいざん seizan | lush mountain; green mountain |
| 青木 | あおき aoki | Japanese laurel (Aucuba japonica); spotted laurel |
| 青春 | せいしゅん seishun | youth; adolescence |
| 青少年 | せいしょうねん seishounen | young people (ages 12 to 25); youth |
| 青空 | あおぞら aozora | blue sky |
| 青葉 | あおば aoba | fresh leaves |
| 青写真 | あおじゃしん aojashin | blueprint; cyanotype |
| 青果 | せいか seika | fruits and vegetables; produce |
| 青梅 | あおうめ aoume | unripe plum |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: