Character Info
| Property |
Value |
| Kanji |
工 |
| Strokes |
3 |
| Radical |
工 (itself) |
| JLPT Level |
N4 |
Readings
| Type |
Japanese |
Romaji |
| On-yomi |
コウ、ク |
kō, ku |
| Kun-yomi |
— (no common kun) |
— |
Vocabulary
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 工場 |
こうじょう |
kōjō |
factory |
| 工事 |
こうじ |
kōji |
construction work |
| 工夫 |
くふう |
kufū |
devise, contrivance |
| 人工 |
じんこう |
jinkō |
artificial |
| 大工 |
だいく |
daiku |
carpenter |
Stroke Order
- Top horizontal line. 2. Vertical line (center). 3. Bottom horizontal line.
Mnemonic
Looks like a carpenter's I-beam or a work tool — perfectly captures craftsmanship and construction.
Common Confusion Pairs
| Confused With |
How to Distinguish |
| 王 (king) |
王 has middle horizontal slightly up; 工 has even spacing |
| 土 (earth) |
土 has short top and long bottom; 工 has equal lines |