弁

弁 — valve, petal, braid

Learn the correct stroke order for 弁 (valve), a 5-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Grade 55 strokes

Stroke Order

Stroke 0 / 5

On'yomi (音読み)ベンben、ヘンhen

Kun'yomi (訓読み)かんむりkanmuri、わきま.えるwakimaeru、わ.けるwakeru、はなびらhanabira、あらそ.うarasou

Strokes5

Radical廾

Frequency#619

Meaningsvalve, petal, braid, speech, dialect, discrimination, dispose of, distinguish, conical cap

Step-by-Step Diagram

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 5 — start from the green dot

Common Words

駅弁えきべんboxed lunch bought at a station (often a local specialty)noun

勘弁かんべんpardon; forgiveness; forbearancenoun

合弁ごうべんjoint management; poolnoun

代弁だいべんspeaking by proxy; speaking for (someone else); acting as spokesman (for)noun

答弁とうべんresponse; reply; answernoun

熱弁ねつべんimpassioned speech; fervent speechnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 弁 (valve) is taught in grade 5 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 5 strokes with radical 廾.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 弁 is #619, making it a frequently used kanji.

Example Words in Context

駅弁えきべん — boxed lunch bought at a station (often a local specialty)

勘弁かんべん — pardon; forgiveness; forbearance

合弁ごうべん — joint management; pool

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (廾)

弄play with 弊abuse

Same reading

偏partial 遍everywhere

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 弁 have?

The kanji 弁 (valve) has 5 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 弁?

弁 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 弁 mean?

弁 means: valve, petal, braid, speech, dialect, discrimination, dispose of, distinguish, conical cap. On'yomi readings: ベン, ヘン. Kun'yomi readings: かんむり, わきま.える, わ.ける, はなびら, あらそ.う.

What JLPT level is 弁?

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