識
識 — Discriminating
discriminating, know, write
On’yomiシキ (shiki)
Kun’yomiしる (shiru)
Kun’yomiしるす (shirusu)
Stroke order (19 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 識
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 意識 | いしき ishiki | consciousness; becoming aware (of); awareness |
| 認識 | にんしき ninshiki | recognition; awareness; perception |
| 知識 | ちしき chishiki | knowledge; information |
| 常識 | じょうしき joushiki | common sense; good sense; common knowledge |
| 有識者 | ゆうしきしゃ yuushikisha | expert; knowledgeable person; authority (on a subject) |
| 知識人 | ちしきじん chishikijin | intellectual |
Study notes
識 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 19 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #496 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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