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探

探 — grope, search, look for

Learn the correct stroke order for 探 (grope), a 11-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 611 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 11
On'yomi (音読み)タンtan
Kun'yomi (訓読み)さぐ.るsaguru、さが.すsagasu
Strokes11
Radical手
Frequency#930
Meaningsgrope, search, look for

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

探るさぐるto feel around for; to fumble for; to grope forverb
探求たんきゅうsearch; quest; pursuitnoun
探究たんきゅうresearch; investigation; enquirynoun
探査たんさprobe; inquiry; enquirynoun
探索たんさくsearch; lookup; huntnoun
探知たんちdetectionnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 探 (grope) is taught in grade 6 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 11 strokes with radical 手.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 探 is #930, making it a frequently used kanji.

Example Words in Context

探るさぐる — to feel around for; to fumble for; to grope for
探求たんきゅう — search; quest; pursuit
探究たんきゅう — research; investigation; enquiry

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (手)

才genius手hand打strike払pay扱handle投throw技skill批criticism

Same reading

反anti-段grade単simple

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 探 have?

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

What is the correct stroke order for 探?

探 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 探 mean?

探 means: grope, search, look for. On'yomi readings: タン. Kun'yomi readings: さぐ.る, さが.す.

What JLPT level is 探?

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