Kanji N2

細: dainty, get thin, taper

細 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning dainty, get thin, taper, written with 11 strokes. It is read サイ (on) and ほそい, ほそる, こまか (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 2. You will see it in 細かい (こまかい, small) and 細い (ほそい, thin).

細

Meanings

  • dainty
  • get thin
  • taper
  • slender
  • narrow
  • detailed
  • precise
Strokes11
JLPT levelN2
School gradeGrade 2
Frequency#537 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • サイ

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

Kun reading
  • ほそい
  • ほそる
  • こまか
  • こまかい

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.

1234567891011

Now draw it

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

12345678910110 / 11

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 11. Start at the dot.

Common words with 細

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

  • 細かいこまかい

    small

    JLPT N4
  • 細いほそい

    thin; slender; fine

    JLPT N5
  • 亜細亜アジア

    Asia

    JLPT N4
  • 細胞さいぼう

    cell

    JLPT N1
  • 詳細しょうさい

    details; particulars; specifics

    JLPT N1
  • 細工さいく

    work; workmanship; craftsmanship; handiwork

    JLPT N1
  • 細菌さいきん

    bacterium; bacteria; germ

    JLPT N1
  • 心細いこころぼそい

    helpless; forlorn; hopeless; unpromising; lonely

    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. JLPT lists after Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk), CC BY.