Kanji N3

守: guard, protect, defend

守 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning guard, protect, defend, written with 6 strokes. It is read シュ, ス (on) and まもる, まもり, もり (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 3. You will see it in 守る (まもる, to protect) and 留守 (るす, absence).

守

Meanings

  • guard
  • protect
  • defend
  • obey
Strokes6
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 3
Frequency#457 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • シュ
  • ス

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

Kun reading
  • まもる
  • まもり
  • もり
  • -もり
  • かみ

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.

123456

Now draw it

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

1234560 / 6

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 6. Start at the dot.

Common words with 守

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

  • 守るまもる

    to protect; to guard; to defend

    JLPT N3
  • 留守るす

    absence; being away from home

    JLPT N4
  • 守備しゅび

    defense; defence

    JLPT N1
  • 保守ほしゅ

    maintenance

    JLPT N1
  • 留守番るすばん

    care-taking; house-sitting; house-watching

    JLPT N2
  • 守衛しゅえい

    (security) guard; caretaker; janitor; doorkeeper

    JLPT N1
  • 守りまもり

    protection; defense; defence

  • 攻守こうしゅ

    offense and defense; offence and defence

Learn Japanese with a path that remembers you

Naraio opens soon: one guided path from hiragana to N1, reviews at the right moment, a tutor who listens and kanji checked stroke by stroke. Leave your email and you're among the first in, free to start.

One note now, one email the day we open. Nothing else. Privacy.

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.