How to Write 妻 (wife, spouse) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 8-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 5 (小学5年生)) character 妻 (“wife, spouse”), indexed under the 女 (おんな (woman)) radical. Practice 妻 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 妻 (つま (tsuma) — wife).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (妻)
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 5 (小学5年生) (JLPT N3). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (サイ) when 妻 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (つま) when 妻 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (8画): Written with 8 strokes, 妻 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 6 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
Radical: 女 (おんな (woman))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 8 strokes under radical 女.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 妻
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 妻 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 妻 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 妻 ("wife, spouse") is written with 8 strokes (8画) as a JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 5 (小学5年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 女 (おんな (woman)) radical. Written with 8 strokes, 妻 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 6 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 妻?
For 妻 (JLPT N3), the Onyomi is サイ and the Kunyomi is つま. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (サイ) when 妻 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (つま) when 妻 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 妻 includes 妻 (つま (tsuma) — wife).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 妻 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 8 strokes of 妻 (wife, spouse), 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 妻 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More JLPT N3 Characters to Practice Next
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