Kanji N2

臣: retainer, subject

臣 is a JLPT N2 kanji meaning retainer, subject, written with 7 strokes. It is read シン, ジン (on), and has no common kun reading. Children in Japan learn it in grade 4. You will see it in 大臣 (だいじん, cabinet minister) and 総理大臣 (そうりだいじん, prime minister).

臣

Meanings

  • retainer
  • subject
Strokes7
JLPT levelN2
School gradeGrade 4
Frequency#1249 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • シン
  • ジン

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.

1234567

Now draw it

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

12345670 / 7

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 7. Start at the dot.

Common words with 臣

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

  • 大臣だいじん

    cabinet minister

    JLPT N3
  • 総理大臣そうりだいじん

    prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government)

    JLPT N2
  • 忠臣ちゅうしん

    loyal retainer; loyal subject

  • 国務大臣こくむだいじん

    minister of state; cabinet minister (in Japan)

  • 家臣かしん

    vassal; retainer

  • 内大臣ないだいじん

    Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (1885-1945)

  • 重臣じゅうしん

    chief vassal; senior statesman

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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.