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然

然 — sort of thing, so, if so

Learn the correct stroke order for 然 (sort of thing), a 12-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 412 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 12
On'yomi (音読み)ゼンzen、ネンnen
Kun'yomi (訓読み)しかshika、しか.りshikari、しか.しshikashi、さsa
Strokes12
Radical火
Frequency#401
Meaningssort of thing, so, if so, in that case, well

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 12 — start from the green dot

Common Words

依然いぜんstill; as yet; as it has beenadjective
敢然かんぜんboldly; bravely; resolutely
偶然ぐうぜんcoincidence; chance; accidentnoun
公然こうぜんopen; public; officialnoun
自然しぜんnaturenoun
全然ぜんぜん(not) at all; (not) in the slightestadverb

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 然 (sort of thing) is taught in grade 4 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 12 strokes with radical 火.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 然 is #401, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

依然いぜん — still; as yet; as it has been
敢然かんぜん — boldly; bravely; resolutely
偶然ぐうぜん — coincidence; chance; accident

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (火)

火fire灯lamp灰ashes災disaster炎inflammation炉hearth炊cook点spot

Same reading

全whole念wish

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 然 have?

The kanji 然 (sort of thing) has 12 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 然?

然 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 然 mean?

然 means: sort of thing, so, if so, in that case, well. On'yomi readings: ゼン, ネン. Kun'yomi readings: しか, しか.り, しか.し, さ.

What JLPT level is 然?

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