黒 — how to write the kanji for “black”
黒 (“black”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. KANJIDIC2 gives it 1 on reading and 3 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit stacked: 里 (“ri”), strokes 1–7; 灬 (“fire”), strokes 8–11, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word kuro, “black; black stone”. Read koku, it forms 黒人 (“black person”), 黒海 (“Black Sea”) and 黒煙 (“black smoke”); the native reading kuro gives 黒字 (“(being in) the black”) and 黒星 (“black spot”).
- Strokes
- 11
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 黑 (“black”)
- On
- コク
- Kun
- くろ·ずむ, くろ, くろ·い
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Dot ㇔bottom leftdown and left
- Dot ㇔bottomdownwards
- Dot ㇔bottomdown and right
- Dot ㇔bottom rightdown and right
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- コク koku
- Kun (native)
- くろ·ずむ kuro-zumu, くろ kuro (rare), くろ·い kuro-i (rare)
- Meanings
- black
- Read kuro
- 黒字 黒星 黒木 白黒 黒い
- Read koku
- 黒人 黒海 黒煙 黒鉛 暗黒
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 573rd of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 흑 heuk
- Common words
- 23 in JMdict
Words with 黒
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 黒字 | くろじ kuroji | (being in) the black; surplus |
| 黒人 | こくじん kokujin | black person |
| 黒海 | こっかい kokkai | Black Sea |
| 黒星 | くろぼし kuroboshi | black spot; black dot |
| 黒木 | くろき kuroki | unbarked lumber |
| 白黒 | しろくろ shirokuro | black and white; monochrome |
| 黒い | くろい kuroi | black; dark |
| 黒煙 | こくえん kokuen | black smoke |
| 黒鉛 | こくえん kokuen | graphite |
| 暗黒 | あんこく ankoku | darkness |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: