支
支 — Branch
branch, support, sustain
On’yomiシ (shi)
Kun’yomiささえる (sasaeru)
Kun’yomiつかえる (tsukaeru)
Kun’yomiかう (kau)
Stroke order (4 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 支
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 支援 | しえん shien | support; backing; aid |
| 支持 | しじ shiji | support; backing; endorsement |
| 支局 | しきょく shikyoku | branch office |
| 支店 | してん shiten | branch office; branch store |
| 支配 | しはい shihai | rule; domination; control |
| 支部 | しぶ shibu | branch; branch office; subdivision |
Study notes
支 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 4 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #159 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).
🔊 Tap the big kanji, any reading or any example word to hear it.