Kanji N1

弁: valve, petal, braid

弁 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning valve, petal, braid, written with 5 strokes. It is read ベン, ヘン (on) and かんむり, わきまえる, わける (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 5. You will see it in 弁護 (べんご, defense) and 弁当 (べんとう, bento).

弁

Meanings

  • valve
  • petal
  • braid
  • speech
  • dialect
  • discrimination
  • dispose of
  • distinguish
  • conical cap
Strokes5
JLPT levelN1
School gradeGrade 5
Frequency#619 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ベン
  • ヘン

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

Kun reading
  • かんむり
  • わきまえる
  • わける
  • はなびら
  • あらそう

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 5. Start at the dot.

Common words with 弁

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

  • 弁護べんご

    defense; defence; pleading; advocacy

    JLPT N1
  • 弁当べんとう

    bento; Japanese box lunch

    JLPT N3
  • 弁論べんろん

    discussion; debate; argument

    JLPT N1
  • 弁解べんかい

    explanation (e.g. for one's actions); excuse

    JLPT N1
  • 代弁だいべん

    speaking by proxy; speaking for (someone else)

    JLPT N1
  • お弁当おべんとう

    bento; Japanese box lunch

    JLPT N5
  • 弁償べんしょう

    compensation; indemnification; reparation

    JLPT N1
  • 勘弁かんべん

    pardon; forgiveness; forbearance

    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.