Kanji N1

滅: destroy, ruin, overthrow

滅 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning destroy, ruin, overthrow, written with 13 strokes. It is read メツ (on) and ほろびる, ほろぶ, ほろぼす (kun). It is one of the jōyō kanji taught in secondary school. You will see it in 絶滅 (ぜつめつ, extinction) and 滅亡 (めつぼう, downfall).

滅

Meanings

  • destroy
  • ruin
  • overthrow
  • perish
Strokes13
JLPT levelN1
School gradeSecondary school
Frequency#1222 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • メツ

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

Kun reading
  • ほろびる
  • ほろぶ
  • ほろぼす

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.

12345678910111213

Now draw it

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

123456789101112130 / 13

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 13. Start at the dot.

Common words with 滅

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

  • 絶滅ぜつめつ

    extinction; extermination

    JLPT N3
  • 滅亡めつぼう

    downfall; ruin; collapse; destruction

    JLPT N1
  • 滅多にめったに

    rarely; seldom

    JLPT N3
  • 滅茶苦茶めちゃくちゃ

    absurd; unreasonable; nonsensical; preposterous

    JLPT N2
  • 滅びるほろびる

    to go to ruin; to go under; to fall

    JLPT N1
  • 全滅ぜんめつ

    total destruction; complete destruction

    JLPT N1
  • 滅ぼすほろぼす

    to destroy; to overthrow; to wreck; to ruin

    JLPT N1
  • 消滅しょうめつ

    extinction; extinguishment; disappearance

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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.