舌

舌 — tongue, reed, clapper

Learn the correct stroke order for 舌 (tongue), a 6-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Grade 66 strokes

Stroke Order

123456
Stroke 0 / 6
On'yomi (音読み)ゼツzetsu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)したshita
Strokes6
Radical舌
Frequency#1830
Meaningstongue, reed, clapper

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
5
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

舌戦ぜっせんwar of wordsnoun
毒舌どくぜつwicked tongue; sharp tongue; abusive languagenoun
猫舌ねこじたdislike of very hot food or drink; inability to take hot food; cat tonguenoun
弁舌べんぜつspeech; eloquence; manner of speakingnoun
舌したtonguenoun
舌打ちしたうちclicking one's tongue; tut-tutnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 舌 (tongue) is taught in grade 6 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 6 strokes with radical 舌.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 舌 is #1830, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

舌戦ぜっせん — war of words
毒舌どくぜつ — wicked tongue; sharp tongue; abusive language
猫舌ねこじた — dislike of very hot food or drink; inability to take hot food; cat tongue

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 舌 have?

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

What is the correct stroke order for 舌?

舌 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 舌 mean?

舌 means: tongue, reed, clapper. On'yomi readings: ゼツ. Kun'yomi readings: した.

What JLPT level is 舌?

舌 is a JLPT N1 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.