Japanese word

画

Pronunciation

Romajikaku

Meaning

  • counterstroke

Example

この漢字は五画です。ko no kan ji wa go kaku de su

This kanji has five strokes.

Illustration for 画 (stroke)

More examples

この字は何画で書きますか？ko no ji wa nan kaku de ka ki ma su ka

How many strokes does it take to write this character?

Core concept

It treats each separate line that makes up a written kanji as one countable unit.

Common phrases

  • 十画の漢字jū kaku no kan ji

    a ten-stroke kanji

  • 二画目ni kaku me

    the second stroke

Definition in Japanese

漢字を構成する一つ一つの線を数える単位。kan ji o kō sei su ru hito tsu hito tsu no sen o kazo e ru tan i

Word origin

画 (kaku, "stroke") is the simplified form of 畫 (kaku, "draw" or "divide"), and its use as a counter extends the idea of separating a kanji into individual lines.

Usage tips

  • A kanji's 画 (kaku, "stroke") count follows its writing movements rather than the number of unbroken marks visible after the ink dries.

Word lists with this word