Kanji N1

是: just so, this, right

是 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning just so, this, right, written with 9 strokes. It is read ゼ, シ (on) and これ, この, ここ (kun). It is one of the jōyō kanji taught in secondary school. You will see it in 是正 (ぜせい, correction) and 是非 (ぜひ, certainly).

是

Meanings

  • just so
  • this
  • right
  • justice
Strokes9
JLPT levelN1
School gradeSecondary school
Frequency#1045 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ゼ
  • シ

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

Kun reading
  • これ
  • この
  • ここ

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 是

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

  • 是正ぜせい

    correction; revision; redressing; rectifying

    JLPT N1
  • 是非ぜひ

    certainly; without fail

    JLPT N4
  • 是非ともぜひとも

    by all means; at all costs; absolutely

    JLPT N2
  • 彼是あれこれ

    this and that; this or that

    JLPT N2
  • 国是こくぜ

    national policy

  • 是認ぜにん

    approval; approbation; endorsement

  • 党是とうぜ

    party platform; party principles

  • 是か非かぜかひか

    right or wrong

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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.