Kanji N1

哀: pathetic, grief, sorrow

哀 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning pathetic, grief, sorrow, written with 9 strokes. It is read アイ (on) and あわれ, あわれむ, かなしい (kun). It is one of the jōyō kanji taught in secondary school. You will see it in 可哀想 (かわいそう, poor) and 哀れ (あわれ, pity).

哀

Meanings

  • pathetic
  • grief
  • sorrow
  • pathos
  • pity
  • sympathize
Strokes9
JLPT levelN1
School gradeSecondary school
Frequency#1715 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • アイ

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

Kun reading
  • あわれ
  • あわれむ
  • かなしい

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.

1234567890 / 9

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 9. Start at the dot.

Common words with 哀

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

  • 可哀想かわいそう

    poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful

    JLPT N3
  • 哀れあわれ

    pity; sorrow; grief; misery; compassion; pathos

    JLPT N3
  • 哀悼あいとう

    condolence; regret; tribute; sorrow; sympathy

  • 悲哀ひあい

    sorrow; grief; sadness

  • 哀愁あいしゅう

    pathos; sorrow; grief

  • 哀れむあわれむ

    to pity; to feel sympathy for

  • 喜怒哀楽きどあいらく

    human emotions (joy, anger, grief and pleasure)

  • 哀歓あいかん

    joys and sorrows; happiness and sadness

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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.