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難

難 — difficult, impossible, trouble

Learn the correct stroke order for 難 (difficult), a 18-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 618 strokes

Stroke Order

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On'yomi (音読み)ナンnan
Kun'yomi (訓読み)かた.いkatai、-がた.いgatai、むずか.しいmuzukashii、むづか.しいmuzukashii、むつか.しいmutsukashii、-にく.いnikui
Strokes18
Radical隹
Frequency#330
Meaningsdifficult, impossible, trouble, accident, defect

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 18 — start from the green dot

Common Words

海難かいなんaccident at sea; sea disaster; shipwrecknoun
苦難くなんsuffering; distress; hardshipnoun
困難こんなんdifficulty; hardship; troublenoun
災難さいなんcalamity; misfortune; disasternoun
至難しなんmost difficult; next to impossiblena-adjective
受難じゅなんsufferings; ordeals; agonynoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 難 (difficult) is taught in grade 6 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 18 strokes with radical 隹.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 難 is #330, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

海難かいなん — accident at sea; sea disaster; shipwreck
苦難くなん — suffering; distress; hardship
困難こんなん — difficulty; hardship; trouble

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (隹)

隻vessels集gather雄masculine雇employ雅gracious雑miscellaneous雌feminine離detach

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 難 have?

The kanji 難 (difficult) has 18 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 難?

難 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 難 mean?

難 means: difficult, impossible, trouble, accident, defect. On'yomi readings: ナン. Kun'yomi readings: かた.い, -がた.い, むずか.しい, むづか.しい, むつか.しい, -にく.い.

What JLPT level is 難?

難 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.