Kanji N3

昨: yesterday, previous

昨 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning yesterday, previous, written with 9 strokes. It is read サク (on), and has no common kun reading. Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 昨日 (きのう, yesterday) and 昨夜 (ゆうべ, last night).

昨

Meanings

  • yesterday
  • previous
Strokes9
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#226 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • サク

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

Kun reading
  • None in common use

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

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Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 9. Start at the dot.

Common words with 昨

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

  • 昨日きのう

    yesterday

    JLPT N5
  • 昨夜ゆうべ

    last night; yesterday evening

    JLPT N5
  • 昨さく

    last (year); yesterday

    JLPT N3
  • 一昨年おととし

    year before last

    JLPT N5
  • 一昨日おととい

    day before yesterday

    JLPT N5
  • 一昨昨日いっさくさくじつ

    two days before yesterday; three days back (ago)

    JLPT N2
  • 昨年さくねん

    last year

  • 昨秋さくしゅう

    autumn of last year; fall of last year

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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.