How to Write 曹 (office, official, comrade, fellow) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 11-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) character 曹 (“office, official, comrade, fellow”), indexed under the 曰 (ひらび (say)) radical. Practice 曹 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 曹 (ソウ / そう (sou) — office).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (曹)
Primary Radical (部首): 曰 — ひらび (say)
Radical Position: Standalone / Integrated (部首)
Semantic Theme: Radical 曰
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生) (JLPT N1). 曹 is primarily read using its Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ソウ, ゾウ) inside formal Jukugo compound words rather than as a standalone Kunyomi stem.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (11画): Written with 11 strokes, 曹 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 曰 (ひらび (say)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 曰 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 9 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
Radical: 曰 (ひらび (say))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 11 strokes under radical 曰.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 曹
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 曹 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 曹 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 曹 ("office, official, comrade, fellow") is written with 11 strokes (11画) as a JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 曰 (ひらび (say)) radical. Written with 11 strokes, 曹 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 曰 (ひらび (say)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 曰 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 9 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 曹?
For 曹 (JLPT N1), the Onyomi is ソウ, ゾウ and the Kunyomi is —. 曹 is primarily read using its Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ソウ, ゾウ) inside formal Jukugo compound words rather than as a standalone Kunyomi stem. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 曹 includes 曹 (ソウ / そう (sou) — office).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 曹 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 11 strokes of 曹 (office, official, comrade, fellow), start with the 曰 (ひらび (say)) 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 曹 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
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