KaiwaGo車 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
車 means “car, vehicle”. It is written with 7 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: シャ (sha). Kun’yomi: くるま (kuruma).
How to write 車 (stroke order)
Write 車 in 7 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
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 車
Trace 車 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 車
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | シャ (sha) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | くるま (kuruma) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 車 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 車
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 車 | くるま kuruma | car | |
| 自転車 | じてんしゃ jitensha | bicycle |
車 (kuruma) means “car”.
自転車 (jitensha) means “bicycle”.
FAQ
What does 車 mean in Japanese?
車 means “car, vehicle”. Common words with it are 車 (kuruma, “car”) and 自転車 (jitensha, “bicycle”).
How many strokes does 車 have?
車 has 7 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 7.
How do you read 車?
The on’yomi is シャ (sha) and the kun’yomi is くるま (kuruma). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 車 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 車 is kanji number 56 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.