JLPT N3 · 8 strokes
Kanji 怖: "dreadful, be frightened, fearful"
The kanji 怖 means "dreadful, be frightened, fearful". It is written with 8 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N3, read フ, ホ in on'yomi and こわ.い, こわ.がる, お.じる, おそ.れる 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)
フホ
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
こわ.いこわ.がるお.じるおそ.れる
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 | dreadful, be frightened, fearful |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 8 |
| JLPT level | N3 |
| Taught in Japan | secondary school |
| Frequency rank | 1325 of 2,501 |
Common words with 怖
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 怖いscary; frightening; eerie; dreadful
- 恐怖fear; dread; dismay; terror
- 怖ず怖ずtimidly; nervously; with nervous diffidence; trembling with fear
- 怖い顔grim face; angry look
- 畏怖awe; fear; dread; fright
- 恐怖心fear; terror
- 物怖じtimidity; nervousness; being easily intimidated
- 怖気fear; dread; fright; willies
- 怖気づくto become frightened; to get scared; to be seized with fear; to be intimidated
- 死の恐怖fear of death
- 恐怖感feeling of dread; awful feeling; sense of fear
- 怖いもの知らずfoolhardy; reckless; fearless
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