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惜

惜 — pity, be sparing of, frugal

Learn the correct stroke order for 惜 (pity), a 11-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school11 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 11
On'yomi (音読み)セキseki
Kun'yomi (訓読み)お.しいoshii、お.しむoshimu
Strokes11
Radical心
Frequency#1641
Meaningspity, be sparing of, frugal, stingy, regret

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 11 — start from the green dot

Common Words

惜敗せきはいregrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow marginnoun
惜しいおしいregrettable; disappointing; unfortunatei-adjective
惜しむおしむto spare; to grudge; to be sparing (with)verb

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 惜 (pity) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 11 strokes with radical 心.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 惜 is #1641, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

惜敗せきはい — regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
惜しいおしい — regrettable; disappointing; unfortunate
惜しむおしむ — to spare; to grudge; to be sparing (with)

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (心)

心heart必invariably忙busy応apply志intention快cheerful忘forget忍endure

Same reading

析chop釈explanation舎cottage潟lagoon寂loneliness尺shaku斥reject

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 惜 have?

The kanji 惜 (pity) has 11 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 惜?

惜 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 惜 mean?

惜 means: pity, be sparing of, frugal, stingy, regret. On'yomi readings: セキ. Kun'yomi readings: お.しい, お.しむ.

What JLPT level is 惜?

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