KaiwaGo国 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
国 means “country”. It is written with 8 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: コク (koku). Kun’yomi: くに (kuni).
How to write 国 (stroke order)
Write 国 in 8 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 国
Trace 国 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 国
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | コク (koku) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | くに (kuni) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 国 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 国
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 国 | くに kuni | country | |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
国 (kuni) means “country”.
外国 (gaikoku) means “foreign country”. Also in this word: 外
FAQ
What does 国 mean in Japanese?
国 means “country”. Common words with it are 国 (kuni, “country”) and 外国 (gaikoku, “foreign country”).
How many strokes does 国 have?
国 has 8 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 8.
How do you read 国?
The on’yomi is コク (koku) and the kun’yomi is くに (kuni). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 国 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 国 is kanji number 57 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.