Kanji N2

刺: thorn, pierce, stab

刺 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning thorn, pierce, stab, written with 8 strokes. It is read シ (on) and さす, ささる, さし (kun). It is one of the jōyō kanji taught in secondary school. You will see it in 刺激 (しげき, stimulus) and 名刺 (めいし, business card).

刺

Meanings

  • thorn
  • pierce
  • stab
  • prick
  • sting
  • calling card
Strokes8
JLPT levelN2
School gradeSecondary school
Frequency#1031 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • シ

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

Kun reading
  • さす
  • ささる
  • さし
  • さし
  • とげ

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.

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Now draw it

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

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Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 8. Start at the dot.

Common words with 刺

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

  • 刺激しげき

    stimulus; stimulation

    JLPT N3
  • 名刺めいし

    business card

    JLPT N2
  • 刺すさす

    to pierce; to stab; to prick; to stick

    JLPT N2
  • 刺さるささる

    to stick into (of something with a sharp point)

    JLPT N2
  • 刺身さしみ

    sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans)

    JLPT N2
  • 刺とげ

    thorn; spine; prickle

    JLPT N1
  • 刺繍ししゅう

    embroidery

    JLPT N1
  • 風刺ふうし

    satire; irony; sarcasm

bunka · culture

A meishi is offered and received with both hands, with a small bow. You read it for a moment and keep it in front of you, never in a back pocket.

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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; the Spanish meanings they lack, translated by Naraio from their English, are shared under the same licence. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. JLPT lists after Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk), CC BY. Sentences split into words with IPADIC © NAIST and IPA, through Lindera.