形
形 — Shape
shape, form, style
On’yomiケイ (kei)
On’yomiギョウ (gyou)
Kun’yomiかた (kata)
Kun’yomi-がた (gata)
Kun’yomiかたち (katachi)
Kun’yomiなり (nari)
Stroke order (7 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 形
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 形 | かたち katachi | (physical) form; shape; figure |
| 形式 | けいしき keishiki | form (as opposed to substance); format; form |
| 形成 | けいせい keisei | formation; molding; making (up) |
| 形態 | けいたい keitai | form; shape; figure |
| 人形 | にんぎょう ningyou | doll; puppet; marionette |
| 山形 | やまがた yamagata | Yamagata (city, prefecture); mountain shape; chevron |
Study notes
形 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 7 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #418 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).
🔊 Tap the big kanji, any reading or any example word to hear it.