How to Write 仕 (attend, doing, official, serve) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 5-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N4 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) character 仕 (“attend, doing, official, serve”), indexed under the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical. Practice 仕 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 仕える (つかえる (tsukaeru) — attend).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (仕)
Primary Radical (部首): 人 — ひと / にんべん (person)
Radical Position: Left (Hen / 偏) (偏 (Hen))
Semantic Theme: Humans, people, relationships, and human behavior
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生) (JLPT N4). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (シ, ジ) when 仕 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (つか.える) when 仕 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (5画): With only 5 strokes, 仕 is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) structure (Left (Hen / 偏) position) cleanly around the center intersection and finish terminal strokes with crisp tome (stop) or harai (sweep) release.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
Radical: 人 (ひと / にんべん (person))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 5 strokes under radical 人.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 仕
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 仕 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 仕 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 仕 ("attend, doing, official, serve") is written with 5 strokes (5画) as a JLPT N4 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) foundational low-stroke shape (1–5 strokes) indexed under the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical. With only 5 strokes, 仕 is a foundational shape where center-of-gravity alignment on the Genkō Yōshi (原稿用紙) crosshairs is immediately visible. Anchor the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) structure (Left (Hen / 偏) position) cleanly around the center intersection and finish terminal strokes with crisp tome (stop) or harai (sweep) release.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 仕?
For 仕 (JLPT N4), the Onyomi is シ, ジ and the Kunyomi is つか.える. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (シ, ジ) when 仕 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (つか.える) when 仕 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 仕 includes 仕える (つかえる (tsukaeru) — attend).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 仕 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 5 strokes of 仕 (attend, doing, official, serve), start with the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) in the Left (Hen / 偏) (偏 (Hen)) position and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice 仕 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
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