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酷

酷 — cruel, severe, atrocious

Learn the correct stroke order for 酷 (cruel), a 14-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school14 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 14
On'yomi (音読み)コクkoku
Kun'yomi (訓読み)ひど.いhidoi
Strokes14
Radical酉
Frequency#1596
Meaningscruel, severe, atrocious, unjust

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 14 — start from the green dot

Common Words

酷使こくしexploitation; overuse; abusenoun
酷似こくじresembling closely; being strikingly similar; bearing a strong likenessnoun
酷暑こくしょintense heat; severe heatnoun
酷評こくひょうsevere criticism; sharp criticism; scathing criticismnoun
残酷ざんこくcruel; brutal; ruthlessna-adjective
冷酷れいこくcruelty; coldheartedness; relentlessna-adjective

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 酷 (cruel) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 14 strokes with radical 酉.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 酷 is #1596, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

酷使こくし — exploitation; overuse; abuse
酷似こくじ — resembling closely; being strikingly similar; bearing a strong likeness
酷暑こくしょ — intense heat; severe heat

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (酉)

配distribute酒sake酌bar-tending酎sake酔drunk酢vinegar酬repay酪dairy products

Same reading

克overcome穀cereals殻husk

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 酷 have?

The kanji 酷 (cruel) has 14 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 酷?

酷 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 酷 mean?

酷 means: cruel, severe, atrocious, unjust. On'yomi readings: コク. Kun'yomi readings: ひど.い.

What JLPT level is 酷?

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