KaiwaGo土 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
土 means “earth, soil”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ド (do), ト (to). Kun’yomi: つち (tsuchi).
How to write 土 (stroke order)
Write 土 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
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 土
Trace 土 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 土
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ド (do)ト (to) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | つち (tsuchi) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 土 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 土
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 土曜日 | どようび doyoubi | Saturday | |
| 土 | つち tsuchi | soil |
土曜日 (doyoubi) means “Saturday”. Also in this word: 曜日
土 (tsuchi) means “soil”.
FAQ
What does 土 mean in Japanese?
土 means “earth, soil”. Common words with it are 土曜日 (doyoubi, “Saturday”) and 土 (tsuchi, “soil”).
How many strokes does 土 have?
土 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 土?
The on’yomi is ド (do), ト (to) and the kun’yomi is つち (tsuchi). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 土 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 土 is kanji number 21 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.