序
序 — Preface
preface, beginning, order, precedence, occasion, chance
On’yomiジョ (jo)
Kun’yomiついで (tsuide)
Kun’yomiついで (tsuide)
Stroke order (7 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 序
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 秩序 | ちつじょ chitsujo | order; discipline; regularity |
| 序盤 | じょばん joban | opening (in a game of go, chess, etc.); early stages; initial phase |
| 序列 | じょれつ joretsu | rank; ranking order; hierarchy |
| 序 | ついで tsuide | opportunity; occasion; chance |
| 順序 | じゅんじょ junjo | order; sequence; procedure |
| 年功序列 | ねんこうじょれつ nenkoujoretsu | seniority by length of service |
Study notes
序 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 7 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #1160 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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