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明

明 — bright, light

Learn the correct stroke order for 明 (bright), a 8-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 28 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 8
On'yomi (音読み)メイmei、ミョウmyou、ミンmin
Kun'yomi (訓読み)あ.かりakari、あか.るいakarui、あか.るむakarumu、あか.らむakaramu、あき.らかakiraka、あ.けるakeru、-あ.けake、あ.くaku、あ.くるakuru、あ.かすakasu
Strokes8
Radical日
Frequency#67
Meaningsbright, light

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 8 — start from the green dot

Common Words

明白めいはくobvious; clear; plainna-adjective
解明かいめいelucidation; explication; explainingnoun
究明きゅうめいinvestigation (esp. in academic and scientific contexts); finding out the facts; bringing (a matter) to lightnoun
賢明けんめいwise; sensible; well-advisedna-adjective
言明げんめいdeclaration; statement; assertionnoun
光明こうみょうbright lightnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 明 (bright) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 8 strokes with radical 日.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 明 is #67, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

明白めいはく — obvious; clear; plain
解明かいめい — elucidation; explication; explaining
究明きゅうめい — investigation (esp. in academic and scientific contexts); finding out the facts; bringing (a matter) to light

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (日)

日day旧old times旦daybreak早early旬decameron旨delicious易easy昇rise up

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 明 have?

The kanji 明 (bright) has 8 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 明?

明 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 明 mean?

明 means: bright, light. On'yomi readings: メイ, ミョウ, ミン. Kun'yomi readings: あ.かり, あか.るい, あか.るむ, あか.らむ, あき.らか, あ.ける, -あ.け, あ.く, あ.くる, あ.かす.

What JLPT level is 明?

明 is a JLPT N4 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.