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以

以 — by means of, because, in view of

Learn the correct stroke order for 以 (by means of), a 5-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 45 strokes

Stroke Order

12345
Stroke 0 / 5
On'yomi (音読み)イi
Kun'yomi (訓読み)もっ.てmotte
Strokes5
Radical人
Frequency#126
Meaningsby means of, because, in view of, compared with

Step-by-Step Diagram

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2
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5

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 5 — start from the green dot

Common Words

以てもってwith; by; by means ofexpression
以下いかnot exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under
以外いがいexcluding; except (for); apart from
以後いごafter this; from now on; hereafternoun
以降いこうon and after; from ... onward; sincenoun
以上いじょうnot less than ...; ... and over; ... and above

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 以 (by means of) is taught in grade 4 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 5 strokes with radical 人.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 以 is #126, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

以てもって — with; by; by means of
以下いか — not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under
以外いがい — excluding; except (for); apart from

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (人)

人person今now介jammed in仏Buddha仁humanity代substitute付adhere仕attend

Same reading

意idea医doctor

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 以 have?

The kanji 以 (by means of) has 5 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 以?

以 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 以 mean?

以 means: by means of, because, in view of, compared with. On'yomi readings: イ. Kun'yomi readings: もっ.て.

What JLPT level is 以?

以 is a JLPT N4 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.