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生

生 — life, genuine, birth

Learn the correct stroke order for 生 (life), a 5-stroke kanji.

JLPT N5Grade 15 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 5
On'yomi (音読み)セイsei、ショウshou
Kun'yomi (訓読み)い.きるikiru、い.かすikasu、い.けるikeru、う.まれるumareru、うま.れるumareru、う.まれumare、うまれumare、う.むumu、お.うou、は.えるhaeru、は.やすhayasu、きki、なまnama、なま-nama、な.るnaru、な.すnasu、む.すmusu、-うu
Strokes5
Radical生
Frequency#29
Meaningslife, genuine, birth

Step-by-Step Diagram

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5

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 5 — start from the green dot

Common Words

衛生えいせいhygiene; sanitation; cleanlinessnoun
往生おうじょうpassing on to the next lifenoun
回生かいせいresurrection; resuscitation; coming back to lifenoun
学生がくせいstudent (esp. a university student)noun
寄生きせいparasitismnoun
共生きょうせいcoexistence; living togethernoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 生 (life) is taught in grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N5 level. It has 5 strokes with radical 生.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 生 is #29, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

衛生えいせい — hygiene; sanitation; cleanliness
往生おうじょう — passing on to the next life
回生かいせい — resurrection; resuscitation; coming back to life

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (生)

産products

Same reading

上above小little西west

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 生 have?

The kanji 生 (life) has 5 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 生?

生 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 生 mean?

生 means: life, genuine, birth. On'yomi readings: セイ, ショウ. Kun'yomi readings: い.きる, い.かす, い.ける, う.まれる, うま.れる, う.まれ, うまれ, う.む, お.う, は.える, は.やす, き, なま, なま-, な.る, な.す, む.す, -う.

What JLPT level is 生?

生 is a JLPT N5 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.