Go Pro
想

想 — idea, thought, conception

Learn the correct stroke order for 想 (idea), a 13-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 313 strokes

Stroke Order

12345678910111213
Stroke 0 / 13
On'yomi (音読み)ソウsou、ソso
Kun'yomi (訓読み)おも.うomou
Strokes13
Radical心
Frequency#381
Meaningsidea, thought, conception, think

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 13 — start from the green dot

Common Words

仮想かそうimagination; supposition; virtualnoun
回想かいそうrecollection; retrospection; reflectionnoun
感想かんそうimpressions; thoughts; feelingsnoun
空想くうそうdaydream; fantasy; fancynoun
幻想げんそうfantasy; illusion; visionnoun
構想こうそうplan; plot; ideanoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 想 (idea) is taught in grade 3 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 13 strokes with radical 心.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 想 is #381, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

仮想かそう — imagination; supposition; virtual
回想かいそう — recollection; retrospection; reflection
感想かんそう — impressions; thoughts; feelings

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

相inter-組association争contend草grass窓window祖ancestor箱box

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 想 have?

The kanji 想 (idea) has 13 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 想?

想 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 想 mean?

想 means: idea, thought, conception, think. On'yomi readings: ソウ, ソ. Kun'yomi readings: おも.う.

What JLPT level is 想?

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