Kanji N3

優: tenderness, excel, surpass

優 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning tenderness, excel, surpass, written with 17 strokes. It is read ユウ, ウ (on) and やさしい, すぐれる, まさる (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 優勝 (ゆうしょう, overall victory) and 女優 (じょゆう, actress).

優

Meanings

  • tenderness
  • excel
  • surpass
  • actor
  • superiority
  • gentleness
Strokes17
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#334 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ユウ
  • ウ

On'yomi: from Chinese, written in katakana. Used in compound words.

Kun reading
  • やさしい
  • すぐれる
  • まさる

Kun'yomi: native Japanese, in hiragana. The faint part is the okurigana, written in kana after the kanji.

Watch the stroke order

Every stroke in order, the live one in vermilion. Replay as often as you like.

1234567891011121314151617

Now draw it

Trace each stroke in order. Wrong direction or wrong order gets flagged right away.

12345678910111213141516170 / 17

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 17. Start at the dot.

Common words with 優

The most useful words written with it, easiest first. Every other kanji in them opens its own page.

  • 優勝ゆうしょう

    overall victory; championship; winning the title

    JLPT N3
  • 女優じょゆう

    actress; female actor

    JLPT N3
  • 俳優はいゆう

    actor; actress; player; performer

    JLPT N3
  • 優秀ゆうしゅう

    superior; excellent; brilliant; outstanding

    JLPT N3
  • 優しいやさしい

    tender; kind; gentle; graceful; affectionate

    JLPT N4
  • 優れるすぐれる

    to be better (than); to be superior; to surpass

    JLPT N3
  • 優先ゆうせん

    preference; priority; precedence; right of way

    JLPT N1
  • 優位ゆうい

    predominance; superiority; ascendancy; advantage

    JLPT N1

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Stroke order from KanjiVG © Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0. Readings, meanings and words from KANJIDIC2 and JMdict, names from JMnedict, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata, CC0. JLPT lists after Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk), CC BY.