JLPT N2 · 9 strokes
Kanji 柔: "tender, weakness, gentleness"
The kanji 柔 means "tender, weakness, gentleness, softness". It is written with 9 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N2, read ジュウ, ニュウ in on'yomi and やわ.らか, やわ.らかい, やわ, やわ.ら 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)
ジュウニュウ
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
やわ.らかやわ.らかいやわやわ.ら
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 | tender, weakness, gentleness, softness |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 9 |
| JLPT level | N2 |
| Taught in Japan | secondary school |
| Frequency rank | 1187 of 2,501 |
Common words with 柔
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 柔らかいsoft; tender; supple; flexible · gentle; mild; soft; mellow
- 柔らかsoft; tender; pliant; supple · soft (colour, light, etc.); subdued; gentle (demeanour, voice, etc.); mild
- 柔軟flexible; lithe; soft; pliable · calisthenics
- 柔和gentle; mild; meek; tender
- 柔道judo
- 優柔不断indecisive; irresolute; shilly-shally; vacillating
- 懐柔winning over; placation; gentle persuasion
- お手柔らかにgently; mildly; leniently · don't be too hard on me (us, them); go easy on me
- 柔軟性flexibility; pliability; softness; elasticity
- 柔soft; weak; fragile; poorly built
- 柔肌soft fair skin
- 柔肉soft flesh (esp. in a sexual context)
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