Kanji N3

能: ability, talent, skill

能 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning ability, talent, skill, written with 10 strokes. It is read ノウ (on) and よく, あたう (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 5. You will see it in 可能 (かのう, possible) and 機能 (きのう, function).

能

Meanings

  • ability
  • talent
  • skill
  • capacity
Strokes10
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 5
Frequency#273 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ノウ

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

Kun reading
  • よく
  • あたう

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.

12345678910

Now draw it

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

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Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 10. Start at the dot.

Common words with 能

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

  • 可能かのう

    possible; potential; practicable; feasible

    JLPT N3
  • 機能きのう

    function; facility; faculty; feature

    JLPT N3
  • 能力のうりょく

    ability; faculty

    JLPT N3
  • 能のう

    talent; gift; function

    JLPT N3
  • 才能さいのう

    talent; ability

    JLPT N3
  • 知能ちのう

    intelligence; intellect; brains

    JLPT N3
  • 有能ゆうのう

    able; capable; competent; talented; efficient

    JLPT N3
  • 性能せいのう

    ability; performance; efficiency

    JLPT N2

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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.