How to Write 発 (departure, discharge, publish, emit, start from) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 9-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N4 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) character 発 (“departure, discharge, publish, emit, start from”), indexed under the 癶 (はつがしら (footsteps)) radical. Practice 発 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 発つ (たつ (tatsu) — departure), 発く (あばく (abaku) — departure).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (発)
Primary Radical (部首): 癶 — はつがしら (footsteps)
Radical Position: Standalone / Integrated (部首)
Semantic Theme: Radical 癶
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生) (JLPT N4). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ハツ, ホツ) when 発 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (た.つ, あば.く, おこ.る, つか.わす, はな.つ) when 発 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (9画): Written with 9 strokes, 発 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 癶 (はつがしら (footsteps)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 癶 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 7 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
Radical: 癶 (はつがしら (footsteps))
Standard Jouyou kanji written with 9 strokes under radical 癶.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 発
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 発 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 発 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 発 ("departure, discharge, publish, emit, start from") is written with 9 strokes (9画) as a JLPT N4 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 癶 (はつがしら (footsteps)) radical. Written with 9 strokes, 発 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 癶 (はつがしら (footsteps)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 癶 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 7 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 発?
For 発 (JLPT N4), the Onyomi is ハツ, ホツ and the Kunyomi is た.つ, あば.く, おこ.る, つか.わす, はな.つ. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ハツ, ホツ) when 発 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (た.つ, あば.く, おこ.る, つか.わす, はな.つ) when 発 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 発 includes 発つ (たつ (tatsu) — departure), 発く (あばく (abaku) — departure).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 発 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 9 strokes of 発 (departure, discharge, publish, emit, start from), start with the 癶 (はつがしら (footsteps)) 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 発 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More JLPT N4 Characters to Practice Next
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