衆
衆 — Masses
masses, great numbers, multitude, populace
On’yomiシュウ (shuu)
On’yomiシュ (shu)
Kun’yomiおおい (ooi)
Stroke order (12 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 衆
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 衆院 | しゅういん shuuin | House of Representatives (lower house of the National Diet of Japan) |
| 大衆 | たいしゅう taishuu | general public; the masses |
| 民衆 | みんしゅう minshuu | people; populace; masses |
| 聴衆 | ちょうしゅう choushuu | audience; attendance; hearers |
| 衆議院 | しゅうぎいん shuugiin | House of Representatives (lower house of the National Diet of Japan) |
| 観衆 | かんしゅう kanshuu | spectators; onlookers; members of the audience |
Study notes
衆 is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 12 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 6), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #450 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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