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才

才 — genius, years old, cubic shaku

Learn the correct stroke order for 才 (genius), a 3-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 23 strokes

Stroke Order

123
Stroke 0 / 3
On'yomi (音読み)サイsai
Kun'yomi (訓読み)—
Strokes3
Radical手
Frequency#1497
Meaningsgenius, years old, cubic shaku

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 3 — start from the green dot

Common Words

鬼才きさいwizard; genius; remarkable talentnoun
才能さいのうtalent; abilitynoun
秀才しゅうさいbright person; talented student; prodigynoun
多才たさいtalentedna-adjective
天才てんさいgenius; prodigy; natural giftnoun
漫才まんざいmanzai; comic dialogue; two-person comedy act, usu. presented as a fast-paced dialogue, occ. presented as a skitnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 才 (genius) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 3 strokes with radical 手.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 才 is #1497, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

鬼才きさい — wizard; genius; remarkable talent
才能さいのう — talent; ability
秀才しゅうさい — bright person; talented student; prodigy

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (手)

手hand打strike払pay扱handle投throw技skill批criticism抗confront

Same reading

最utmost済settle (debt, etc.)際occasion歳year-end財property殺kill妻wife

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 才 have?

The kanji 才 (genius) has 3 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 才?

才 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 才 mean?

才 means: genius, years old, cubic shaku. On'yomi readings: サイ.

What JLPT level is 才?

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