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役

役 — duty, war, campaign

Learn the correct stroke order for 役 (duty), a 7-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 37 strokes

Stroke Order

1234567
Stroke 0 / 7
On'yomi (音読み)ヤクyaku、エキeki
Kun'yomi (訓読み)—
Strokes7
Radical彳
Frequency#315
Meaningsduty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office, service, role

Step-by-Step Diagram

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7

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 7 — start from the green dot

Common Words

悪役あくやくvillain; baddie; the villain's partnoun
現役げんえきactive duty; active servicenoun
三役さんやくthree highest ranks (wrestling, unions, etc.)noun
主役しゅやくleading part; leading actor; leading actressnoun
重役じゅうやく(company) director; executive; top managementnoun
助役じょやくassistant officialnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 役 (duty) is taught in grade 3 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 7 strokes with radical 彳.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 役 is #315, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

悪役あくやく — villain; baddie; the villain's part
現役げんえき — active duty; active service
三役さんやく — three highest ranks (wrestling, unions, etc.)

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (彳)

彼he往journey径diameter征subjugate後behind待wait律rhythm従accompany

Same reading

約promise易easy薬medicine

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 役 have?

The kanji 役 (duty) has 7 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 役?

役 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 役 mean?

役 means: duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office, service, role. On'yomi readings: ヤク, エキ.

What JLPT level is 役?

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