How to Write 忙 (busy, occupied, restless) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 6-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) character 忙 (“busy, occupied, restless”), indexed under the 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart)) radical. Practice 忙 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 忙しい (いそがしい (isogashii) — busy), 忙しい (せわしい (sewashii) — busy).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (忙)
Primary Radical (部首): 心 — こころ / りっしんべん (heart)
Radical Position: Left (Hen / 偏) (偏 (Hen))
Semantic Theme: Heart, thoughts, emotions, and psychological states
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生) (JLPT N3). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ボウ, モウ) when 忙 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (いそが.しい, せわ.しい, おそ.れる, うれえるさま) when 忙 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (6画): Written with 6 strokes, 忙 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 心 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 4 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
Radical: 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 6 strokes under radical 心.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 忙
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 忙 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 忙 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 忙 ("busy, occupied, restless") is written with 6 strokes (6画) as a JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart)) radical. Written with 6 strokes, 忙 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 心 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 4 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 忙?
For 忙 (JLPT N3), the Onyomi is ボウ, モウ and the Kunyomi is いそが.しい, せわ.しい, おそ.れる, うれえるさま. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ボウ, モウ) when 忙 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (いそが.しい, せわ.しい, おそ.れる, うれえるさま) when 忙 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 忙 includes 忙しい (いそがしい (isogashii) — busy), 忙しい (せわしい (sewashii) — busy).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 忙 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 6 strokes of 忙 (busy, occupied, restless), start with the 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart)) 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 忙 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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