導
導 — Guidance
guidance, leading, conduct, usher
On’yomiドウ (dou)
Kun’yomiみちびく (michibiku)
Stroke order (15 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 導
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 指導 | しどう shidou | guidance; leadership; instruction |
| 導入 | どうにゅう dounyuu | introduction; bringing in; installation |
| 主導 | しゅどう shudou | leadership; initiative; spearhead |
| 半導体 | はんどうたい handoutai | semiconductor |
| 主導権 | しゅどうけん shudouken | hegemony; leadership; initiative |
| 誘導 | ゆうどう yuudou | guidance; leading; induction |
Study notes
導 is a JLPT N2 kanji written with 15 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #354 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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