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柔

柔 — tender, weakness, gentleness

Learn the correct stroke order for 柔 (tender), a 9-stroke kanji.

JLPT N2Secondary school9 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 9
On'yomi (音読み)ジュウjuu、ニュウnyuu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)やわ.らかyawaraka、やわ.らかいyawarakai、やわyawa、やわ.らyawara
Strokes9
Radical木
Frequency#1187
Meaningstender, weakness, gentleness, softness

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 9 — start from the green dot

Common Words

懐柔かいじゅうwinning over; placation; gentle persuasionnoun
柔道じゅうどうjudonoun
柔軟じゅうなんflexible; lithe; softna-adjective
柔和にゅうわgentle; mild; meekna-adjective
柔らかやわらかsoft; tender; pliantna-adjective
優柔不断ゆうじゅうふだんindecisive; irresolute; shilly-shallyna-adjective

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 柔 (tender) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N2 level. It has 9 strokes with radical 木.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 柔 is #1187, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

懐柔かいじゅう — winning over; placation; gentle persuasion
柔道じゅうどう — judo
柔軟じゅうなん — flexible; lithe; soft

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (木)

木tree本book末end未un-札tag朴crude机desk朱vermilion

Same reading

乳milk拾pick up

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 柔 have?

The kanji 柔 (tender) has 9 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 柔?

柔 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 柔 mean?

柔 means: tender, weakness, gentleness, softness. On'yomi readings: ジュウ, ニュウ. Kun'yomi readings: やわ.らか, やわ.らかい, やわ, やわ.ら.

What JLPT level is 柔?

柔 is a JLPT N2 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.