KaiwaGo買 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
買 means “buy”. It is written with 12 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: バイ (bai). Kun’yomi: か.う (kau).
How to write 買 (stroke order)
Write 買 in 12 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 買
Trace 買 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 買
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | バイ (bai) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | か.う (kau) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 買 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 買
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 買う | かう kau | to buy | |
| 買い物 | かいもの kaimono | shopping |
買う (kau) means “to buy”.
買い物 (kaimono) means “shopping”.
FAQ
What does 買 mean in Japanese?
買 means “buy”. Common words with it are 買う (kau, “to buy”) and 買い物 (kaimono, “shopping”).
How many strokes does 買 have?
買 has 12 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 12.
How do you read 買?
The on’yomi is バイ (bai) and the kun’yomi is か.う (kau). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 買 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 買 is kanji number 87 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.