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墨

墨 — black ink, India ink, ink stick

Learn the correct stroke order for 墨 (black ink), a 14-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school14 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 14
On'yomi (音読み)ボクboku
Kun'yomi (訓読み)すみsumi
Strokes14
Radical土
Frequency#1616
Meaningsblack ink, India ink, ink stick, Mexico

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 14 — start from the green dot

Common Words

墨絵すみえink paintingnoun
墨すみsumi; India ink; Chinese inknoun
水墨画すいぼくがIndia-ink painting; ink wash paintingnoun
入れ墨いれずみtattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooingnoun
お墨付きおすみつきcertificate; certified document; authorizationnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 墨 (black ink) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 14 strokes with radical 土.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 墨 is #1616, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

墨絵すみえ — ink painting
墨すみ — sumi; India ink; Chinese ink
水墨画すいぼくが — India-ink painting; ink wash painting

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (土)

土soil圧pressure地ground在exist均level坂slope坊boy坑pit

Same reading

僕me撲slap黙silence牧breed朴crude睦intimate

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 墨 have?

The kanji 墨 (black ink) has 14 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 墨?

墨 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 墨 mean?

墨 means: black ink, India ink, ink stick, Mexico. On'yomi readings: ボク. Kun'yomi readings: すみ.

What JLPT level is 墨?

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