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優

優 — tenderness, excel, surpass

Learn the correct stroke order for 優 (tenderness), a 17-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 617 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 17
On'yomi (音読み)ユウyuu、ウu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)やさ.しいyasashii、すぐ.れるsugureru、まさ.るmasaru
Strokes17
Radical人
Frequency#334
Meaningstenderness, excel, surpass, actor, superiority, gentleness

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 17 — start from the green dot

Common Words

女優じょゆうactress; female actornoun
男優だんゆう(male) actornoun
俳優はいゆうactor; actress; playernoun
優位ゆういpredominance; superiority; ascendancynoun
優雅ゆうがelegant; graceful; refinedna-adjective
優遇ゆうぐうfavorable treatment; favourable treatment; hospitalitynoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 優 (tenderness) is taught in grade 6 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 17 strokes with radical 人.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 優 is #334, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

女優じょゆう — actress; female actor
男優だんゆう — (male) actor
俳優はいゆう — actor; actress; player

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

由wherefore遊play

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 優 have?

The kanji 優 (tenderness) has 17 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 優?

優 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 優 mean?

優 means: tenderness, excel, surpass, actor, superiority, gentleness. On'yomi readings: ユウ, ウ. Kun'yomi readings: やさ.しい, すぐ.れる, まさ.る.

What JLPT level is 優?

優 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.