JLPT N1 · 13 strokes
Kanji 鼓: "drum, beat, rouse"
The kanji 鼓 means "drum, beat, rouse, muster". It is written with 13 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N1, read コ in on'yomi and つづみ in kun'yomi.
Stroke order
Strokes are written in the order of the numbers. The order is not decorative: it is what gives the character its balance, and it is also how handwriting search works in Japanese dictionaries.
Readings
On'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading)
コ
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
つづみ
In a kun'yomi reading, the dot separates the kanji from its okurigana: かた.る is read かたる and written 語る. A hyphen marks a bound position, like -び in 日.
At a glance
| Meaning | drum, beat, rouse, muster |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 13 |
| JLPT level | N1 |
| Taught in Japan | secondary school |
| Frequency rank | 1795 of 2,501 |
Common words with 鼓
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 鼓動beat; palpitation; pulsation; throbbing
- 鼓膜eardrum; tympanic membrane
- 太鼓drum
- 鼓舞encouragement; inspiration; rousing; stirring up
- 舌鼓を打つto smack one's lips (over a dish); to eat with relish
- 鼓tsuzumi; hourglass-shaped Japanese hand drum · drum (general term for struck leather percussion instruments)
- 太鼓判を押すto give the stamp of approval
- 太鼓判large seal; large stamp · seal of approval; guarantee; endorsement
- 舌鼓smacking one's lips (over food)
- 鼓するto beat (a drum) · to pluck up courage
- 太鼓腹potbelly; paunch
- 太鼓持ちprofessional jester; professional entertainer; comedian; buffoon · flatterer; sycophant; brown-noser
Keep going
Read real Japanese, not lists
A kanji list does not teach you to read. KanjiYome puts furigana and a dictionary on any Japanese text, offline, and turns the words you meet into review cards.