How to Write 住 (dwell, reside, live, inhabit) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 7-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N4 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) character 住 (“dwell, reside, live, inhabit”), indexed under the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical. Practice 住 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 住む (すむ (sumu) — dwell), 住まう (すまう (sumau) — dwell).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (住)
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 (ジュウ, ヂュウ, チュウ) when 住 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (す.む, す.まう, -ず.まい) when 住 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (7画): Written with 7 strokes, 住 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 人 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 5 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
人 (meaning) + 主 (sound シュ)
Derived from the meaning radical 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) and the phonetic component 主, giving the on-reading シュ / ス.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 住
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 住 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 住 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 住 ("dwell, reside, live, inhabit") is written with 7 strokes (7画) as a JLPT N4 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical. Written with 7 strokes, 住 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 人 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 5 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 住?
For 住 (JLPT N4), the Onyomi is ジュウ, ヂュウ, チュウ and the Kunyomi is す.む, す.まう, -ず.まい. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ジュウ, ヂュウ, チュウ) when 住 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (す.む, す.まう, -ず.まい) when 住 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 住 includes 住む (すむ (sumu) — dwell), 住まう (すまう (sumau) — dwell).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 住 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 7 strokes of 住 (dwell, reside, live, inhabit), 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 住 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More JLPT N4 Characters to Practice Next
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