Kanji N3

精: refined, ghost, fairy

精 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning refined, ghost, fairy, written with 14 strokes. It is read セイ, ショウ (on) and しらげる, くわしい (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 5. You will see it in 精神 (せいしん, mind) and 精々 (せいぜい, at the most).

精

Meanings

  • refined
  • ghost
  • fairy
  • energy
  • vitality
  • semen
  • excellence
  • purity
  • skill
Strokes14
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 5
Frequency#752 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • セイ
  • ショウ

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

Kun reading
  • しらげる
  • くわしい

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.

1234567891011121314

Now draw it

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

12345678910111213140 / 14

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 14. Start at the dot.

Common words with 精

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

  • 精神せいしん

    mind; spirit; soul; heart; ethos

    JLPT N3
  • 精々せいぜい

    at the most; at best

    JLPT N3
  • 精密せいみつ

    precise; exact; detailed; accurate; minute

    JLPT N1
  • 精巧せいこう

    elaborate; delicate; exquisite

    JLPT N1
  • 精せい

    spirit; sprite; nymph

  • 精子せいし

    sperm; spermatozoon

  • 精神的せいしんてき

    mental; spiritual; emotional

  • 精度せいど

    precision; accuracy

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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.