How to Write 烈 (ardent, violent, vehement, furious, severe) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 10-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) character 烈 (“ardent, violent, vehement, furious, severe”), indexed under the 火 (ひ / れっか (fire)) radical. Practice 烈 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 烈しい (はげしい (hageshii) — ardent).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (烈)
Primary Radical (部首): 火 — ひ / れっか (fire)
Radical Position: Left (Hen / 偏) (偏 (Hen))
Semantic Theme: Fire, heat, burning, cooking, light, and passion
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生) (JLPT N1). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (レツ) when 烈 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (はげ.しい) when 烈 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (10画): Written with 10 strokes, 烈 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 火 (ひ / れっか (fire)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 火 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: 火 (ひ / れっか (fire))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 10 strokes under radical 火.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 烈
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 烈 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 烈 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 烈 ("ardent, violent, vehement, furious, severe") is written with 10 strokes (10画) as a JLPT N1 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 8 (小学8年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 火 (ひ / れっか (fire)) radical. Written with 10 strokes, 烈 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 火 (ひ / れっか (fire)) radical (Left (Hen / 偏) position). Establish the 火 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 烈?
For 烈 (JLPT N1), the Onyomi is レツ and the Kunyomi is はげ.しい. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (レツ) when 烈 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (はげ.しい) when 烈 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 烈 includes 烈しい (はげしい (hageshii) — ardent).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 烈 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 10 strokes of 烈 (ardent, violent, vehement, furious, severe), start with the 火 (ひ / れっか (fire)) 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 烈 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
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