知
知 — Know
know, wisdom
On’yomiチ (chi)
Kun’yomiしる (shiru)
Kun’yomiしらせる (shiraseru)
Stroke order (8 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 知
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 知事 | ちじ chiji | prefectural governor |
| 知らん顔 | しらんかお shirankao | feigned ignorance; pretending not to know; pretending not to recognize (someone) |
| 知る | しる shiru | to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of) |
| 県知事 | けんちじ kenchiji | prefectural governor |
| 知識 | ちしき chishiki | knowledge; information |
| 知人 | ちじん chijin | friend; acquaintance |
Study notes
知 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 8 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #205 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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