士
士 — Gentleman
gentleman, scholar, samurai
On’yomiシ (shi)
Kun’yomiさむらい (samurai)
Stroke order (3 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 士
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弁護士 | べんごし bengoshi | lawyer; attorney |
| 同士 | どうし doushi | fellow; mutual; companion |
| 兵士 | へいし heishi | soldier |
| 博士 | はかせ hakase | expert; learned person; doctor |
| 力士 | りきし rikishi | sumo wrestler; rikishi; strong man |
| 紳士 | しんし shinshi | gentleman |
Study notes
士 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 3 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #526 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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