Go Pro
勤

勤 — diligence, become employed, serve

Learn the correct stroke order for 勤 (diligence), a 12-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 612 strokes

Stroke Order

123456789101112
Stroke 0 / 12
On'yomi (音読み)キンkin、ゴンgon
Kun'yomi (訓読み)つと.めるtsutomeru、-づと.めzutome、つと.まるtsutomaru、いそ.しむisoshimu
Strokes12
Radical力
Frequency#830
Meaningsdiligence, become employed, serve

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 12 — start from the green dot

Common Words

勤めつとめservice; duty; businessnoun
勤続きんぞくcontinuous servicenoun
勤勉きんべんdiligent; hard-working; industriousna-adjective
勤務きんむservice; duty; worknoun
勤労きんろうlabor; labour; exertionnoun
出勤しゅっきんgoing to work; leaving for work; attendance (at work)noun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 勤 (diligence) is taught in grade 6 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 12 strokes with radical 力.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 勤 is #830, making it a frequently used kanji.

Example Words in Context

勤めつとめ — service; duty; business
勤続きんぞく — continuous service
勤勉きんべん — diligent; hard-working; industrious

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (力)

力power加add功achievement劣inferiority助help労labor努toil励encourage

Same reading

経sutra権authority

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 勤 have?

The kanji 勤 (diligence) has 12 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 勤?

勤 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 勤 mean?

勤 means: diligence, become employed, serve. On'yomi readings: キン, ゴン. Kun'yomi readings: つと.める, -づと.め, つと.まる, いそ.しむ.

What JLPT level is 勤?

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