救
救 — Salvation
salvation, save, help, rescue, reclaim
On’yomiキュウ (kyuu)
Kun’yomiすくう (sukuu)
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 救
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 救援 | きゅうえん kyuuen | relief; rescue |
| 救済 | きゅうさい kyuusai | relief; aid; help |
| 救急 | きゅうきゅう kyuukyuu | first-aid; emergency (aid) |
| 救助 | きゅうじょ kyuujo | relief; aid; rescue |
| 救急車 | きゅうきゅうしゃ kyuukyuusha | ambulance |
| 救出 | きゅうしゅつ kyuushutsu | rescue; extricate; reclaim |
Study notes
救 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 11 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #799 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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