Kanji N1

聖: holy, saint, sage

聖 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning holy, saint, sage, written with 13 strokes. It is read セイ, ショウ (on) and ひじり (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 聖書 (せいしょ, Bible) and 神聖 (しんせい, holiness).

聖

Meanings

  • holy
  • saint
  • sage
  • master
  • priest
Strokes13
JLPT levelN1
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#1165 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • セイ
  • ショウ

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

Kun reading
  • ひじり

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 聖

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

  • 聖書せいしょ

    Bible; the Scriptures; Holy Writ

    JLPT N1
  • 神聖しんせい

    holiness; sacredness; sanctity; dignity

    JLPT N1
  • 棋聖きせい

    great master of go; great master of shogi

  • 聖域せいいき

    sacred precincts; sanctuary; consecrated ground

  • 聖地せいち

    sacred place; holy ground; the Holy Land

  • 聖戦せいせん

    holy war; crusade

  • 聖火せいか

    sacred fire; sacred flame

  • 聖堂せいどう

    (Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary

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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.