Kanji N2

棒: rod, stick, cane

棒 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning rod, stick, cane, written with 12 strokes. It is read ボウ (on), and has no common kun reading. Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 棒 (ぼう, pole) and 泥棒 (どろぼう, thief).

棒

Meanings

  • rod
  • stick
  • cane
  • pole
  • club
  • line
Strokes12
JLPT levelN2
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#1455 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ボウ

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.

123456789101112

Now draw it

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

1234567891011120 / 12

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 12. Start at the dot.

Common words with 棒

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

  • 棒ぼう

    pole; rod; stick; baton

    JLPT N3
  • 泥棒どろぼう

    thief; burglar; robber

    JLPT N4
  • 鉄棒かなぼう

    metal rod; metal bar; iron rod; crowbar

    JLPT N1
  • 相棒あいぼう

    partner; pal; accomplice

  • 用心棒ようじんぼう

    bodyguard; bouncer; (security) guard

  • 棒立ちぼうだち

    standing upright; standing bolt upright; rearing

  • 棒状ぼうじょう

    cylinder or rod-shaped

  • 警棒けいぼう

    (police officer's) baton; truncheon; billy club

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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.