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剣

剣 — sabre, sword, blade

Learn the correct stroke order for 剣 (sabre), a 10-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school10 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 10
On'yomi (音読み)ケンken
Kun'yomi (訓読み)つるぎtsurugi
Strokes10
Radical刀
Frequency#1305
Meaningssabre, sword, blade, clock hand

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 10 — start from the green dot

Common Words

剣劇けんげきsword play; samurai dramanoun
剣士けんしswordsman; swordswoman; fencernoun
剣道けんどうkendo; Japanese martial art using bamboo swordsnoun
真剣しんけんserious; earnestna-adjective
刀剣とうけんsword; dagger; knifenoun
剣けんsword (esp. a large, double-edged one); bladenoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 剣 (sabre) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 10 strokes with radical 刀.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 剣 is #1305, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

剣劇けんげき — sword play; samurai drama
剣士けんし — swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
剣道けんどう — kendo; Japanese martial art using bamboo swords

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (刀)

刀sword刃blade分part切cut刈reap刊publish刑punish列file

Same reading

検examination憲constitution健healthy献offering遣dispatch懸state of suspension堅strict勧persuade

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 剣 have?

The kanji 剣 (sabre) has 10 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 剣?

剣 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 剣 mean?

剣 means: sabre, sword, blade, clock hand. On'yomi readings: ケン. Kun'yomi readings: つるぎ.

What JLPT level is 剣?

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