傍

傍 — bystander, side, besides

Learn the correct stroke order for 傍 (bystander), a 12-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school12 strokes

Stroke Order

Stroke 0 / 12

On'yomi (音読み)ボウbou

Kun'yomi (訓読み)かたわ.らkatawara、わきwaki、おか-oka、はたhata、そばsoba

Strokes12

Radical人

Frequency#1660

Meaningsbystander, side, besides, while, nearby, third person

Step-by-Step Diagram

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 12 — start from the green dot

Common Words

傍観ぼうかんlooking on; standing by and watching; sitting back and watchingnoun

傍受ぼうじゅinterception; monitoring; tappingnoun

傍聴ぼうちょうlistening (to a lecture, hearing, parliament session, etc.); attending (without participating); sitting in (e.g. on a meeting)noun

傍らかたわらside; edge; besidenoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 傍 (bystander) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 12 strokes with radical 人.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 傍 is #1660, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

傍観ぼうかん — looking on; standing by and watching; sitting back and watching

傍受ぼうじゅ — interception; monitoring; tapping

傍聴ぼうちょう — listening (to a lecture, hearing, parliament session, etc.); attending (without participating); sitting in (e.g. on a meeting)

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

房tassel 膨swell 冒risk 謀conspire 妨disturb 矛halberd 乏destitution 霧fog

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 傍 have?

The kanji 傍 (bystander) has 12 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 傍?

傍 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 傍 mean?

傍 means: bystander, side, besides, while, nearby, third person. On'yomi readings: ボウ. Kun'yomi readings: かたわ.ら, わき, おか-, はた, そば.

What JLPT level is 傍?

傍 is a JLPT N1 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.