探
探 — Grope
grope, search, look for
On’yomiタン (tan)
Kun’yomiさぐる (saguru)
Kun’yomiさがす (sagasu)
Stroke order (11 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 探
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 探検 | たんけん tanken | exploration; expedition |
| 探査 | たんさ tansa | probe; inquiry; enquiry |
| 探偵 | たんてい tantei | detective; investigator; sleuth |
| 探す | さがす sagasu | to search for; to look for; to hunt for |
| 手探り | てさぐり tesaguri | fumbling; groping |
| 探る | さぐる saguru | to feel around for; to fumble for; to grope for |
Study notes
探 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 11 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #930 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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