Kanji N1

従: accompany, obey, submit to

従 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning accompany, obey, submit to, written with 10 strokes. It is read ジュウ, ショウ, ジュ (on) and したがう, したがえる, より (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 従来 (じゅうらい, up to now) and 従業員 (じゅうぎょういん, employee).

従

Meanings

  • accompany
  • obey
  • submit to
  • comply
  • follow
  • secondary
  • incidental
  • subordinate
Strokes10
JLPT levelN1
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#601 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ジュウ
  • ショウ
  • ジュ

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

Kun reading
  • したがう
  • したがえる
  • より

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 10. Start at the dot.

Common words with 従

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

  • 従来じゅうらい

    up to now; so far

    JLPT N1
  • 従業員じゅうぎょういん

    employee; worker

    JLPT N1
  • 従事じゅうじ

    engaging in (work); pursuing (e.g. studies)

    JLPT N1
  • 従ってしたがって

    therefore; consequently; accordingly

    JLPT N3
  • 従兄弟いとこ

    cousin (male)

    JLPT N3
  • 従姉妹いとこ

    cousin (female)

    JLPT N2
  • 従うしたがう

    to obey (an order, law, etc.)

    JLPT N3
  • 従軍じゅうぐん

    military service; serving in a war

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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.