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Measurement

On’yomiすん
MeaningsMeasurement, Tenth Of A Shaku, A Little, Small
JLPT N1 3 strokes #1627 most common Grade 6 Radical inch
書き順 · Stroke order

How to write 寸

Stroke order is not decoration — it determines how the character looks handwritten and how dictionaries index it.

3 strokes
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部首 · Radical

The radical of 寸

Radical 41 of 214
Inch

The radical is the part a paper dictionary files a kanji under, and it usually hints at meaning. 寸 is filed under (inch) — radical number 41 of the 214 in the Kangxi system.

Other kanji built on 寸

練習 · Practice

Drill 寸 right now

Three quick games built from this character's real data. Your streak is kept in this browser.

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Measurement すん
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熟語 · In real words

Words that use 寸

Kanji are almost never met alone. These are the most common words built from this character, ordered by how often they actually appear in Japanese.

寸前 すんぜん just before; on the verge of; on the brink of
寸法 すんぽう measurement; size; extent
寸断 すんだん cutting to pieces; tearing to pieces
一寸 いっすん one sun (approx. 3 cm); little bit (of time, distance, etc.)
寸劇 すんげき short play; skit
原寸 げんすん actual size; full size
寸暇 すんか moment's leisure; free minute
寸時 スンジ moment, very short time
寸分 スンブン tiny bit
寸地 スンチ an inch of ground
名乗り · Name readings

How 寸 is read in names

Japanese names use readings that appear nowhere else in the language. These are 寸's — the reason personal and place names are so hard to read even for native speakers.

みき
同音 · Sound-alikes

Kanji that sound like 寸

Japanese has far more kanji than syllables, so one reading is shared by many characters. These are the ones you will confuse with 寸 — learn them together, not separately.

画数 · 3 strokes

Other 3-stroke kanji

Useful when looking a character up by stroke count — and a common source of visual mix-ups.

頻度 · Frequency

Next in the frequency list

寸 is the 1627th most common kanji in written Japanese. Learning in frequency order is the fastest route to reading real text.

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質問 · Questions

About the kanji 寸

What does the kanji 寸 mean?

寸 means Measurement, Tenth Of A Shaku, A Little, Small. It is the 1627th most common kanji in written Japanese.

How do you read the kanji 寸?

寸 is read on'yomi (Chinese-derived) すん.

How many strokes does 寸 have?

寸 is written with 3 strokes. The animated diagram on this page shows the correct order.

What level is the kanji 寸?

It appears at JLPT level N1, and Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 6.

What is the radical of 寸?

The radical of 寸 is 寸 (inch), radical number 41 of the 214 Kangxi radicals. The radical is the component a dictionary files the character under, and it usually points at the character's meaning.

What words use the kanji 寸?

Common words written with 寸 include 寸前 (すんぜん, just before; on the verge of; on the brink of); 寸法 (すんぽう, measurement; size; extent); 寸断 (すんだん, cutting to pieces; tearing to pieces).

Which kanji sound the same as 寸?

寸 shares a reading with 駿 (すん), among others. Same-sounding kanji are one of the most common sources of confusion in Japanese.

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