Kanji N2

照: illuminate, shine, compare

照 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning illuminate, shine, compare, written with 13 strokes. It is read ショウ (on) and てる, てらす, てれる (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 対照 (たいしょう, contrast) and 照る (てる, to shine).

照

Meanings

  • illuminate
  • shine
  • compare
  • bashful
Strokes13
JLPT levelN2
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#1004 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ショウ

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

Kun reading
  • てる
  • てらす
  • てれる

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.

12345678910111213

Now draw it

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

123456789101112130 / 13

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 13. Start at the dot.

Common words with 照

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

  • 対照たいしょう

    contrast; antithesis; comparison

    JLPT N2
  • 照るてる

    to shine

    JLPT N2
  • 照らすてらす

    to shine on; to illuminate

    JLPT N2
  • 参照さんしょう

    reference (e.g. to a dictionary, passage, footnotes)

    JLPT N1
  • 照明しょうめい

    illumination; lighting

    JLPT N1
  • 照合しょうごう

    check (against); collation (with); comparison

    JLPT N1
  • 照り返すてりかえす

    to reflect; to throw back light

    JLPT N1
  • 対照的たいしょうてき

    contrastive

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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.