Kanji N1

染: dye, color, paint

染 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning dye, color, paint, written with 9 strokes. It is read セン (on) and そめる, そまる, しみる (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 汚染 (おせん, pollution) and 感染 (かんせん, infection).

染

Meanings

  • dye
  • color
  • paint
  • stain
  • print
Strokes9
JLPT levelN1
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#837 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • セン

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

Kun reading
  • そめる
  • そまる
  • しみる
  • しみ

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.

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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 染

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

  • 汚染おせん

    pollution; contamination

    JLPT N3
  • 感染かんせん

    infection; contagion; becoming infected

    JLPT N1
  • 染めるそめる

    to dye; to colour; to color

    JLPT N1
  • 伝染でんせん

    contagion; infection

    JLPT N2
  • 染まるそまる

    to be dyed

    JLPT N1
  • 染みるしみる

    to soak (into); to permeate; to seep (in)

    JLPT N1
  • 感染症かんせんしょう

    infectious disease; infection

  • 染色せんしょく

    dyeing

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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.