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公

公 — public, prince, official

Learn the correct stroke order for 公 (public), a 4-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 24 strokes

Stroke Order

1234
Stroke 0 / 4
On'yomi (音読み)コウkou、クku
Kun'yomi (訓読み)おおやけooyake
Strokes4
Radical八
Frequency#118
Meaningspublic, prince, official, governmental

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 4 — start from the green dot

Common Words

公安こうあんpublic peace; public safety; public securitynoun
公営こうえいpublic managementnoun
公益こうえきpublic interest; public benefit; public goodnoun
公園こうえん(public) parknoun
公演こうえんpublic performancenoun
公海こうかいhigh seas; international watersnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 公 (public) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 4 strokes with radical 八.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 公 is #118, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

公安こうあん — public peace; public safety; public security
公営こうえい — public management
公益こうえき — public interest; public benefit; public good

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (八)

八eight六six共together兵soldier具tool典code兼concurrently

Same reading

考consider広wide口mouth工craft究research

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 公 have?

The kanji 公 (public) has 4 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 公?

公 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 公 mean?

公 means: public, prince, official, governmental. On'yomi readings: コウ, ク. Kun'yomi readings: おおやけ.

What JLPT level is 公?

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