JLPT N1 · 12 strokes
Kanji 掌: "palm of hand, rule, administer"
The kanji 掌 means "palm of hand, rule, administer, conduct". It is written with 12 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N1, read ショウ in on'yomi and てのひら, たなごころ 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)
ショウ
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
てのひらたなごころ
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 | palm of hand, rule, administer, conduct |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT level | N1 |
| Taught in Japan | secondary school |
| Frequency rank | 1757 of 2,501 |
Common words with 掌
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 掌握grasping; seizing; holding; commanding
- 合掌pressing one's hands together in prayer · triangular frame of a thatched roof
- 車掌(train) conductor
- 掌底palm heel; heel of the palm
- 掌中in the hand; (something) easily manipulated
- 職掌official duties; office; function
- 掌紋palm print
- 掌大small; tiny; size of a palm
- 車掌室conductor's compartment
- 手掌palm
- 管掌taking charge; management
- 掌編(very) short story or article; short short story; conté
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.