Kanji N2

希: hope, beg, request

希 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning hope, beg, request, written with 7 strokes. It is read キ, ケ (on) and まれ, こいねがう (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 希望 (きぼう, hope) and 希薄 (きはく, thin).

希

Meanings

  • hope
  • beg
  • request
  • pray
  • beseech
  • Greece
  • dilute (acid)
  • rare
  • few
  • phenomenal
Strokes7
JLPT levelN2
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#896 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • キ
  • ケ

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

Kun reading
  • まれ
  • こいねがう

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.

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Now draw it

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

12345670 / 7

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 7. Start at the dot.

Common words with 希

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

  • 希望きぼう

    hope; wish; aspiration

    JLPT N3
  • 希薄きはく

    thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute

  • 希少きしょう

    scarce; rare

  • 古希こき

    70th birthday

  • 希求ききゅう

    longing; strong desire; aspiration

  • 希望的きぼうてき

    wishful

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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.