JLPT N1 · 16 strokes
Kanji 衛: "defense, protection"
The kanji 衛 means "defense, protection". It is written with 16 strokes and belongs to JLPT level N1, read エイ, エ in on'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)
エイエ
Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading)
no recorded reading
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 | defense, protection |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 16 |
| JLPT level | N1 |
| Taught in Japan | grade 5 |
| Frequency rank | 400 of 2,501 |
Common words with 衛
The most frequent words using this kanji, most common first, with furigana readings. Click one to open it in the reader.
- 護衛guard; convoy; escort
- 防衛defense; defence; protection
- 近衛Imperial Guards
- 衛兵guard; sentinel; garrison
- 前衛advance guard; vanguard · avant-garde
- 衛星(natural) satellite; moon · (artificial) satellite
- 親衛隊bodyguards; elite guards; imperial guards · Schutzstaffel; SS
- 自衛隊Japan Self-Defense Forces; JSDF · self-defence force; self-defense force
- 自衛self-defense; self-defence
- 後衛rearguard; rear guard · back (player)
- 正当防衛legitimate self-defence; legitimate self-defense
- 守衛(security) guard; caretaker; janitor; doorkeeper
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.