Kanji N3

抱: embrace, hug, hold in arms

抱 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning embrace, hug, hold in arms, written with 8 strokes. It is read ホウ (on) and だく, いだく, かかえる (kun). It is one of the jōyō kanji taught in secondary school. You will see it in 抱える (かかえる, to hold in one's arms) and 抱く (いだく, to hold in one's arms).

抱

Meanings

  • embrace
  • hug
  • hold in arms
Strokes8
JLPT levelN3
School gradeSecondary school
Frequency#871 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ホウ

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

Kun reading
  • だく
  • いだく
  • かかえる

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.

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Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 8. Start at the dot.

Common words with 抱

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

  • 抱えるかかえる

    to hold in one's arms; to carry in one's arms

    JLPT N3
  • 抱くいだく

    to hold in one's arms (e.g. a baby); to embrace

    JLPT N3
  • 辛抱しんぼう

    patience; endurance; perseverance

    JLPT N1
  • 介抱かいほう

    nursing; looking after

    JLPT N1
  • 抱負ほうふ

    aspiration; ambition; plan; hopes; wishes

  • 抱えかかえ

    armful

  • 抱っこだっこ

    carrying in one's arms (a baby, pet, doll, etc.)

  • 抱き合うだきあう

    to embrace each other

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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.