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刀

刀 — sword, saber, knife

Learn the correct stroke order for 刀 (sword), a 2-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Grade 22 strokes

Stroke Order

12
Stroke 0 / 2
On'yomi (音読み)トウtou
Kun'yomi (訓読み)かたなkatana、そりsori
Strokes2
Radical刀
Frequency#1794
Meaningssword, saber, knife

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 2 — start from the green dot

Common Words

小刀こがたな(small) knifenoun
太刀たちlong sword (as opposed to the shorter katana)noun
短刀たんとうshort sword; knife; daggernoun
竹刀しないbamboo sword (for kendo); bamboo fencing sticknoun
刀剣とうけんsword; dagger; knifenoun
大刀だいとう(Japanese) long sword; large swordnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 刀 (sword) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 2 strokes with radical 刀.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 刀 is #1794, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

小刀こがたな — (small) knife
太刀たち — long sword (as opposed to the shorter katana)
短刀たんとう — short sword; knife; dagger

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (刀)

刃blade分part切cut刈reap刊publish刑punish列file初first time

Same reading

統overall藤wisteria討chastise踏step闘fight納settlement透transparent稲rice plant

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 刀 have?

The kanji 刀 (sword) has 2 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 刀?

刀 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 刀 mean?

刀 means: sword, saber, knife. On'yomi readings: トウ. Kun'yomi readings: かたな, そり.

What JLPT level is 刀?

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