How to Write 悌 (serving our elders) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 10-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 9 (小学9年生)) character 悌 (“serving our elders”), indexed under the 心 (こころ / りっしんべん (heart)) radical. Practice 悌 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 悌 (テイ / てい (tei) — serving our elders).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (悌)
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 9 (小学9年生) (JLPT N1). 悌 is primarily read using its Sino-Japanese Onyomi (テイ, ダイ) inside formal Jukugo compound words rather than as a standalone Kunyomi stem.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (10画): Written with 10 strokes, 悌 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 8 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 10 strokes under radical 心.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 悌
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 悌 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 悌 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 悌 ("serving our elders") is written with 10 strokes (10画) as a JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 9 (小学9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 10 strokes, 悌 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 8 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 悌?
For 悌 (JLPT N1), the Onyomi is テイ, ダイ and the Kunyomi is —. 悌 is primarily read using its Sino-Japanese Onyomi (テイ, ダイ) inside formal Jukugo compound words rather than as a standalone Kunyomi stem. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 悌 includes 悌 (テイ / てい (tei) — serving our elders).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 悌 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 10 strokes of 悌 (serving our elders), 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 悌 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
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