How to Write 侍 (waiter, samurai, wait upon, serve) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 8-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) character 侍 (“waiter, samurai, wait upon, serve”), indexed under the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical. Practice 侍 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 侍 (さむらい (samurai) — waiter), 侍る (はべる (haberu) — waiter).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (侍)
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 8 (小学8年生) (JLPT N1). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ジ, シ) when 侍 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (さむらい, はべ.る) when 侍 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (8画): Written with 8 strokes, 侍 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 6 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
人 (meaning) + 寺 (sound ジ)
Derived from the meaning radical 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) and the phonetic component 寺, giving the on-reading ジ / シ.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 侍
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 侍 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 侍 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 侍 ("waiter, samurai, wait upon, serve") is written with 8 strokes (8画) as a JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 人 (ひと / にんべん (person)) radical. Written with 8 strokes, 侍 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 6 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 侍?
For 侍 (JLPT N1), the Onyomi is ジ, シ and the Kunyomi is さむらい, はべ.る. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ジ, シ) when 侍 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (さむらい, はべ.る) when 侍 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 侍 includes 侍 (さむらい (samurai) — waiter), 侍る (はべる (haberu) — waiter).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 侍 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 8 strokes of 侍 (waiter, samurai, wait upon, 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 侍 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
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