僧

僧 — Buddhist priest, monk

Learn the correct stroke order for 僧 (Buddhist priest), a 13-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school13 strokes

Stroke Order

Stroke 0 / 13

On'yomi (音読み)ソウsou

Kun'yomi (訓読み)—

Strokes13

Radical人

Frequency#1724

MeaningsBuddhist priest, monk

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 13 — start from the green dot

Common Words

高僧こうそうhigh priest; highly ranked priestnoun

小僧こぞうyoungster; boy; kidnoun

禅僧ぜんそうZen priestnoun

僧院そういんmonastery; templenoun

僧侶そうりょpriest; monk; bonzenoun

尼僧にそうBuddhist nunnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 僧 (Buddhist priest) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 13 strokes with radical 人.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 僧 is #1724, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

高僧こうそう — high priest; highly ranked priest

小僧こぞう — youngster; boy; kid

禅僧ぜんそう — Zen priest

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

創genesis 葬interment 繰winding 喪miss 宗religion 操maneuver 扱handle 奏play music

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 僧 have?

The kanji 僧 (Buddhist priest) has 13 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 僧?

僧 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 僧 mean?

僧 means: Buddhist priest, monk. On'yomi readings: ソウ.

What JLPT level is 僧?

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