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On’yomiじ・し
Kun’yomiしめ.す
MeaningsShow, Indicate, Point Out, Express, Display
JLPT N3 5 strokes #236 most common Grade 5 Radical spirit
書き順 · Stroke order

How to write 示

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

5 strokes
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部首 · Radical

The radical of 示

Radical 113 of 214
Spirit

The radical is the part a paper dictionary files a kanji under, and it usually hints at meaning. 示 is filed under (spirit) — radical number 113 of the 214 in the Kangxi system.

Other kanji built on 示

練習 · Practice

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熟語 · In real words

Words that use 示

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.

表示 ひょうじ indication; expression; showing
指示 しじ indication; denotation; designation
標示 ひょうじ indication; expression; showing
展示 てんじ exhibition; display
示す しめす to (take out and) show; to demonstrate; to tell
開示 かいじ release (of information, documents, etc.); disclosure; display
告示 こくじ notice; bulletin
公示 こうじ public announcement; official notice; edict
提示 ていじ presentation (of a passport, ID, etc.); showing; production (e.g. of documents)
意思表示 いしひょうじ expressing one's feelings; communicating one's intention; declaration of intent
同音 · Sound-alikes

Kanji that sound like 示

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

画数 · 5 strokes

Other 5-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

示 is the 236th 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 示

What does the kanji 示 mean?

示 means Show, Indicate, Point Out, Express, Display. It is the 236th most common kanji in written Japanese.

How do you read the kanji 示?

示 is read on'yomi (Chinese-derived) じ、し; kun'yomi (native Japanese) しめ.す.

How many strokes does 示 have?

示 is written with 5 strokes. The animated diagram on this page shows the correct order.

What level is the kanji 示?

It appears at JLPT level N3, and Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 5.

What is the radical of 示?

The radical of 示 is 示 (spirit), radical number 113 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 示?

Common words written with 示 include 表示 (ひょうじ, indication; expression; showing); 指示 (しじ, indication; denotation; designation); 標示 (ひょうじ, indication; expression; showing).

Which kanji sound the same as 示?

示 shares a reading with 二 (じ), 時 (じ), 事 (じ), 自 (じ), 地 (じ), among others. Same-sounding kanji are one of the most common sources of confusion in Japanese.

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