KaiwaGo話 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
話 means “talk, story”. It is written with 13 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ワ (wa). Kun’yomi: はな.す (hanasu), はなし (hanashi).
How to write 話 (stroke order)
Write 話 in 13 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
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
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 話
Trace 話 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 話
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ワ (wa) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | はな.す (hanasu)はなし (hanashi) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 話 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 話
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 話す | はなす hanasu | to speak, to talk | |
| 電話 | でんわ denwa | telephone |
話す (hanasu) means “to speak, to talk”.
電話 (denwa) means “telephone”. Also in this word: 電
FAQ
What does 話 mean in Japanese?
話 means “talk, story”. Common words with it are 話す (hanasu, “to speak, to talk”) and 電話 (denwa, “telephone”).
How many strokes does 話 have?
話 has 13 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 13.
How do you read 話?
The on’yomi is ワ (wa) and the kun’yomi is はな.す (hanasu), はなし (hanashi). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 話 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 話 is kanji number 86 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.