How to Write 役 (duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 7-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) character 役 (“duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office”), indexed under the 彳 (ぎょうにんべん (step/action)) radical. Practice 役 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 役 (ヤク / やく (yaku) — duty).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (役)
Primary Radical (部首): 彳 — ぎょうにんべん (step/action)
Radical Position: Standalone / Integrated (部首)
Semantic Theme: Radical 彳
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生) (JLPT N3). 役 is primarily read using its Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ヤク, エキ) inside formal Jukugo compound words rather than as a standalone Kunyomi stem.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (7画): Written with 7 strokes, 役 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 彳 (ぎょうにんべん (step/action)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 彳 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 5 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
Radical: 彳 (ぎょうにんべん (step/action))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 7 strokes under radical 彳.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 役
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 役 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 役 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 役 ("duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office") is written with 7 strokes (7画) as a JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 彳 (ぎょうにんべん (step/action)) radical. Written with 7 strokes, 役 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 彳 (ぎょうにんべん (step/action)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 彳 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 役?
For 役 (JLPT N3), the Onyomi is ヤク, エキ and the Kunyomi is —. 役 is primarily read using its Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ヤク, エキ) inside formal Jukugo compound words rather than as a standalone Kunyomi stem. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 役 includes 役 (ヤク / やく (yaku) — duty).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 役 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 7 strokes of 役 (duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office), start with the 彳 (ぎょうにんべん (step/action)) in the Standalone / Integrated (部首) 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 役 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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