写
写 — Copy
copy, be photographed, describe
On’yomiシャ (sha)
On’yomiジャ (ja)
Kun’yomiうつす (utsusu)
Kun’yomiうつる (utsuru)
Kun’yomiうつ- (utsu)
Kun’yomiうつし (utsushi)
Stroke order (5 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 写
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 写真 | しゃしん shashin | photograph; photo; picture |
| 写真集 | しゃしんしゅう shashinshuu | photo book (esp. one featuring photos of female celebrities, models); photobook |
| 描写 | びょうしゃ byousha | depiction; description; portrayal |
| 青写真 | あおじゃしん aojashin | blueprint; cyanotype; blueprint (for the future) |
| 写る | うつる utsuru | to be photographed; to be projected |
| 試写 | ししゃ shisha | preview; private showing |
Study notes
写 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 5 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #453 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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