Kanji Library
KanjiJLPT N1 › 縮

縮 — Shrink

JLPT N117 strokesGrade 6#909 most used
shrink, contract, shrivel, wrinkle, reduce
On’yomiシュク (shuku)
Kun’yomiちぢ (chijimu)
Kun’yomiちぢまる (chijimaru)
Kun’yomiちぢめる (chijimeru)
Kun’yomiちぢれる (chijireru)
Kun’yomiちぢらす (chijirasu)

Stroke order (17 strokes)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).

Common words using 縮

WordReadingMeaning
軍縮ぐんしゅく
gunshuku
reduction of armaments; disarmament
縮小しゅくしょう
shukushou
reduction; curtailment; cut
短縮たんしゅく
tanshuku
shortening; contraction; reduction
圧縮あっしゅく
asshuku
compression; condensing; shortening
濃縮のうしゅく
noushuku
concentration (e.g. of a solution); enrichment; condensation
緊縮きんしゅく
kinshuku
tightening; shrinkage; contraction

Study notes

縮 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 17 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #909 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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