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何

何 — what

Learn the correct stroke order for 何 (what), a 7-stroke kanji.

JLPT N5Grade 27 strokes

Stroke Order

1234567
Stroke 0 / 7
On'yomi (音読み)カka
Kun'yomi (訓読み)なにnani、なんnan、なに-nani、なん-nan
Strokes7
Radical人
Frequency#340
Meaningswhat

Step-by-Step Diagram

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2
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7

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 7 — start from the green dot

Common Words

何かなにかsomething; some; anypronoun
何てなんてhow ...!; what ...!
何となんとwhat; howadverb
何もなにも(not) anything; (nothing) at all; (not) anyexpression
何回なんかいhow many timesnoun
何歳なんさいhow old; what agenoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 何 (what) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N5 level. It has 7 strokes with radical 人.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 何 is #340, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

何かなにか — something; some; any
何てなんて — how ...!; what ...!
何となんと — what; how

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以by means of付adhere

Same reading

下below火fire

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 何 have?

The kanji 何 (what) has 7 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 何?

何 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 何 mean?

何 means: what. On'yomi readings: カ. Kun'yomi readings: なに, なん, なに-, なん-.

What JLPT level is 何?

何 is a JLPT N5 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.