書 — Kanji Reference
書 (write): 10 strokes, JLPT N5. On: ショ. Kun: か-く.
書
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Meaning | write |
| Strokes | 10 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) | ショ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) | か-く |
| Radical | 曰 (hi/iwaku - to say) [U+66F0] |
Stroke Order
The character 書 is written from top to bottom and left to right.
- Top horizontal: The top horizontal stroke (the "lid").
- Verticals: The two vertical strokes descending from the top.
- Middle horizontal: The horizontal stroke connecting the verticals.
- The "曰" component: The final square-like shape at the bottom.
Stroke sequence: 1 (top dot/dash) → 2 (vertical) → 3 (vertical) → 4 (horizontal) → 5 (horizontal) → 6 (horizontal) → 7 (vertical) → 8 (horizontal) → 9 (horizontal) → 10 (bottom horizontal).
Radical Analysis
The radical is 曰 (to say/speak). Historically, 書 depicts a hand holding a brush (the top part) over a bamboo slip or paper (the bottom part, 曰). The radical "to say" implies that what is written is a record of speech or thoughts. The top portion represents the brush/stylus, and the bottom portion represents the medium upon which the words are recorded.
Mnemonic
Imagine a brush (top part) hovering over a mouth (the 曰 radical). You are using the brush to write down exactly what the mouth is saying. If you don't write it down, the words will vanish!
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ショ (sho)
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 図書 | としょ | tosho | books |
| 書類 | しょるい | shorui | documents |
| 辞書 | じしょ | jisho | dictionary |
| 書店 | しょてん | shoten | bookstore |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
か-く (ka-ku)
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | かく | kaku | to write |
| 書き方 | かきかた | kakikata | way of writing |
JLPT N5 Words Using 書
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | か-く | kaku | to write | N5 |
| 図書館 | と-しょ-かん | toshokan | library | N5 |
| 辞書 | じ-しょ | jisho | dictionary | N5 |
| 書類 | しょ-るい | shorui | documents | N4 |
| 教科書 | きょう-か-しょ | kyoukasho | textbook | N4 |
| 書店 | しょ-てん | shoten | bookstore | N4 |
| 書き直す | か-き-なお-す | kakinaosu | to rewrite | N4 |
| 読書 | どく-しょ | dokusho | reading books | N3 |
| 書道 | しょ-どう | shodou | calligraphy | N3 |
| 葉書 | は-がき | hagaki | postcard | N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手紙を書きます。 | てがみをかきます。 | Tegami o kakimasu. | I will write a letter. |
| 図書館で勉強します。 | としょかんでべんきょうします。 | Toshokan de benkyou shimasu. | I study at the library. |
| 辞書を引いてください。 | じしょをひいてください。 | Jisho o hiite kudasai. | Please look it up in the dictionary. |
| 教科書を忘れないで。 | きょうかしょをわすれないで。 | Kyoukasho o wasurenaide. | Don't forget your textbook. |
| 漢字の書き方を練習する。 | かんじのかきかたをれんしゅうする。 | Kanji no kakikata o renshuu suru. | I practice how to write kanji. |
| 読書は趣味です。 | どくしょはしゅみです。 | Dokusho wa shumi desu. | Reading is my hobby. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | How to distinguish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書 | ショ | Write | Has the "曰" (mouth/say) component at the bottom. |
| 昼 | ヒュ | Noon | Has the "日" (sun) component at the top. |
| 画 | ガ | Picture/Stroke | Has a "田" (field) component inside. |
Usage Frequency Note
書 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in daily life constantly—from academic settings (textbooks, libraries) to professional environments (documents, forms). It is essential for basic literacy and is used in both formal writing and everyday speech.