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自

自 — oneself

Learn the correct stroke order for 自 (oneself), a 6-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 26 strokes

Stroke Order

123456
Stroke 0 / 6
On'yomi (音読み)ジji、シshi
Kun'yomi (訓読み)みずか.らmizukara、おの.ずからonozukara、おの.ずとonozuto
Strokes6
Radical自
Frequency#19
Meaningsoneself

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
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6

Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 6 — start from the green dot

Common Words

各自かくじeach (person); everyone; individualnoun
自らみずからoneselfnoun
自営じえいrunning one's own business; doing business on one's own; self-employmentnoun
自衛じえいself-defense; self-defencenoun
自家じかone's own housenoun
自我じがegonoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 自 (oneself) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 6 strokes with radical 自.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 自 is #19, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

各自かくじ — each (person); everyone; individual
自らみずから — oneself
自営じえい — running one's own business; doing business on one's own; self-employment

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (自)

臭stinking

Same reading

事matter地ground持hold思think使use死death私private始commence

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 自 have?

The kanji 自 (oneself) has 6 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 自?

自 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 自 mean?

自 means: oneself. On'yomi readings: ジ, シ. Kun'yomi readings: みずか.ら, おの.ずから, おの.ずと.

What JLPT level is 自?

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