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私

私 — private, I, me

Learn the correct stroke order for 私 (private), a 7-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 67 strokes

Stroke Order

1234567
Stroke 0 / 7
On'yomi (音読み)シshi
Kun'yomi (訓読み)わたくしwatakushi、わたしwatashi
Strokes7
Radical禾
Frequency#242
Meaningsprivate, I, me

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 7 — start from the green dot

Common Words

公私こうしpublic and private matters; official and personal affairs; professional and personal livesnoun
私見しけんpersonal opinionnoun
私塾しじゅくsmall private school (esp. for cramming)noun
私設しせつprivatenoun
私邸していprivate residencenoun
私的してきprivate; personalna-adjective

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 私 (private) is taught in grade 6 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 7 strokes with radical 禾.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 私 is #242, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

公私こうし — public and private matters; official and personal affairs; professional and personal lives
私見しけん — personal opinion
私塾しじゅく — small private school (esp. for cramming)

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (禾)

秀excel科department秋autumn秒second (1/60 minute)秘secret称appellation秩regularity租tariff

Same reading

自oneself思think使use死death始commence止stop試test仕attend

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 私 have?

The kanji 私 (private) has 7 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 私?

私 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 私 mean?

私 means: private, I, me. On'yomi readings: シ. Kun'yomi readings: わたくし, わたし.

What JLPT level is 私?

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