検
検 — Examination
examination, investigate
On’yomiケン (ken)
Kun’yomiしらべる (shiraberu)
Stroke order (12 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 検
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 検査 | けんさ kensa | inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test |
| 検察 | けんさつ kensatsu | criminal investigation; prosecution; examination |
| 検討 | けんとう kentou | consideration; examination; investigation |
| 地検 | ちけん chiken | District Public Prosecutor's Office |
| 検事 | けんじ kenji | public prosecutor |
| 検定 | けんてい kentei | official certification; official approval; inspection |
Study notes
検 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 12 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #290 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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