How to Write 殺 (kill, murder, butcher, slice off, split) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 10-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 5 (小学5年生)) character 殺 (“kill, murder, butcher, slice off, split”), indexed under the 殳 (ほこづくり (weapon)) radical. Practice 殺 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 殺す (ころす (korosu) — kill), 殺し (ごろし (goroshi) — kill).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (殺)
Primary Radical (部首): 殳 — ほこづくり (weapon)
Radical Position: Standalone / Integrated (部首)
Semantic Theme: Radical 殳
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 5 (小学5年生) (JLPT N3). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (サツ, サイ, セツ) when 殺 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (ころ.す, -ごろ.し, そ.ぐ, あや.める) when 殺 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (10画): Written with 10 strokes, 殺 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 殳 (ほこづくり (weapon)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 殳 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: 殳 (ほこづくり (weapon))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 10 strokes under radical 殳.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 殺
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 殺 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 殺 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 殺 ("kill, murder, butcher, slice off, split") is written with 10 strokes (10画) as a JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 5 (小学5年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 殳 (ほこづくり (weapon)) radical. Written with 10 strokes, 殺 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 殳 (ほこづくり (weapon)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 殳 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 殺?
For 殺 (JLPT N3), the Onyomi is サツ, サイ, セツ and the Kunyomi is ころ.す, -ごろ.し, そ.ぐ, あや.める. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (サツ, サイ, セツ) when 殺 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (ころ.す, -ごろ.し, そ.ぐ, あや.める) when 殺 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 殺 includes 殺す (ころす (korosu) — kill), 殺し (ごろし (goroshi) — kill).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 殺 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 10 strokes of 殺 (kill, murder, butcher, slice off, split), start with the 殳 (ほこづくり (weapon)) 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 殺 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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