Kanji N3

約: promise, approximately, shrink

約 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning promise, approximately, shrink, written with 9 strokes. It is read ヤク (on) and つづまる, つづめる, つづまやか (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 約束 (やくそく, promise) and 予約 (よやく, reservation).

約

Meanings

  • promise
  • approximately
  • shrink
Strokes9
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#94 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ヤク

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

Kun reading
  • つづまる
  • つづめる
  • つづまやか

Kun'yomi: native Japanese, in hiragana. The faint part is the okurigana, written in kana after the kanji.

Watch the stroke order

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Now draw it

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Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 9. Start at the dot.

Common words with 約

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

  • 約束やくそく

    promise; agreement; arrangement; one's word

    JLPT N4
  • 予約よやく

    reservation; appointment; booking; advance order

    JLPT N4
  • 契約けいやく

    contract; compact; agreement

    JLPT N3
  • 婚約こんやく

    engagement; betrothal

    JLPT N3
  • 節約せつやく

    saving (e.g. time, money, resources)

    JLPT N3
  • 約やく

    approximately; about

    JLPT N3
  • 制約せいやく

    limitation; restriction; condition; constraints

    JLPT N1
  • 規約きやく

    agreement; rules; code; protocol; convention

    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; 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.