How to Write 妨 (disturb, prevent, hamper, obstruct) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 7-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) character 妨 (“disturb, prevent, hamper, obstruct”), indexed under the 女 (おんな (woman)) radical. Practice 妨 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 妨げる (さまたげる (samatageru) — disturb).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (妨)
Primary Radical (部首): 女 — おんな (woman)
Radical Position: Left (Hen / 偏) (偏 (Hen))
Semantic Theme: Women, maternal relationships, and feminine traits
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生) (JLPT N1). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ボウ) when 妨 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (さまた.げる) when 妨 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (7画): Written with 7 strokes, 妨 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 女 (おんな (woman)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 女 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 5 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
女 (meaning) + 方 (sound ホウ)
Derived from the meaning radical 女 (おんな (woman)) and the phonetic component 方, giving the on-reading ホウ.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 妨
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 妨 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 妨 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 妨 ("disturb, prevent, hamper, obstruct") is written with 7 strokes (7画) as a JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 女 (おんな (woman)) radical. Written with 7 strokes, 妨 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 女 (おんな (woman)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 女 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 妨?
For 妨 (JLPT N1), the Onyomi is ボウ and the Kunyomi is さまた.げる. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ボウ) when 妨 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (さまた.げる) when 妨 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 妨 includes 妨げる (さまたげる (samatageru) — disturb).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 妨 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 7 strokes of 妨 (disturb, prevent, hamper, obstruct), start with the 女 (おんな (woman)) 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 妨 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
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