Kanji N2

極: extreme, pole, extremely

極 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning extreme, pole, extremely, written with 12 strokes. It is read キョク, ゴク (on) and きわめる, きわまる, きわまり (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 積極的 (せっきょくてき, positive) and 消極的 (しょうきょくてき, negative).

極

Meanings

  • extreme
  • pole
  • extremely
  • very
  • highly
  • most
  • end
  • settlement
  • conclusion
  • highest rank
Strokes12
JLPT levelN2
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#460 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • キョク
  • ゴク

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

Kun reading
  • きわめる
  • きわまる
  • きわまり
  • きわみ
  • きめる
  • -ぎめ
  • きまる

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.

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 極

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

  • 積極的せっきょくてき

    positive; assertive; active; proactive

    JLPT N3
  • 消極的しょうきょくてき

    negative; passive; half-hearted; unmotivated

    JLPT N2
  • 南極なんきょく

    South Pole

    JLPT N2
  • 極ごく

    quite; very

    JLPT N3
  • 北極ほっきょく

    North Pole

    JLPT N2
  • 極端きょくたん

    extreme; extremity

    JLPT N1
  • 究極きゅうきょく

    ultimate; final; last; eventual

    JLPT N1
  • 極楽ごくらく

    Sukhavati (Amitabha's Pure Land)

    JLPT N1

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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.