Kanji N3

吸: suck, imbibe, inhale

吸 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning suck, imbibe, inhale, written with 6 strokes. It is read キュウ (on) and すう (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 呼吸 (こきゅう, breathing) and 吸収 (きゅうしゅう, absorption).

吸

Meanings

  • suck
  • imbibe
  • inhale
  • sip
Strokes6
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#1054 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • キュウ

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

Kun reading
  • すう

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.

123456

Now draw it

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

1234560 / 6

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 6. Start at the dot.

Common words with 吸

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

  • 呼吸こきゅう

    breathing; respiration

    JLPT N3
  • 吸収きゅうしゅう

    absorption; suction; attraction

    JLPT N3
  • 吸うすう

    to breathe in; to inhale

    JLPT N5
  • 吸引きゅういん

    absorption; suction; aspiration

  • 人工呼吸じんこうこきゅう

    artificial respiration

  • 呼吸器こきゅうき

    respiratory organs

  • 吸い殻すいがら

    cigarette end; cigarette butt

  • 吸い込むすいこむ

    to inhale; to breathe in; to suck up; to soak up

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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.