KaiwaGo男 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
男 means “man, male”. It is written with 7 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ダン (dan), ナン (nan). Kun’yomi: おとこ (otoko).
How to write 男 (stroke order)
Write 男 in 7 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
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 男
Trace 男 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 男
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ダン (dan)ナン (nan) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | おとこ (otoko) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 男 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 男
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 男の人 | おとこのひと otokonohito | man | |
| 男の子 | おとこのこ otokonoko | boy |
男の人 (otokonohito) means “man”. Also in this word: 人
男の子 (otokonoko) means “boy”. Also in this word: 子
FAQ
What does 男 mean in Japanese?
男 means “man, male”. Common words with it are 男の人 (otokonohito, “man”) and 男の子 (otokonoko, “boy”).
How many strokes does 男 have?
男 has 7 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 7.
How do you read 男?
The on’yomi is ダン (dan), ナン (nan) and the kun’yomi is おとこ (otoko). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 男 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 男 is kanji number 68 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.