簡
簡 — Simplicity
simplicity, brevity
On’yomiカン (kan)
On’yomiケン (ken)
Kun’yomiえらぶ (erabu)
Kun’yomiふだ (fuda)
Stroke order (18 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 簡
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 簡単 | かんたん kantan | simple; easy; uncomplicated |
| 書簡 | しょかん shokan | letter; note; epistle |
| 簡素 | かんそ kanso | simple; plain; modest |
| 簡易 | かんい kani | simple; simplified; easy |
| 簡潔 | かんけつ kanketsu | concise; brief; succinct |
| 簡略 | かんりゃく kanryaku | simple; brief |
Study notes
簡 is a JLPT N2 kanji written with 18 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #983 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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