KaiwaGo八 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
八 means “eight”. It is written with 2 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ハチ (hachi). Kun’yomi: や (ya), や.つ (yatsu), やっ.つ (yattsu), よう (you).
How to write 八 (stroke order)
Write 八 in 2 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
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 八
Trace 八 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 八
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ハチ (hachi) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | や (ya)や.つ (yatsu)やっ.つ (yattsu)よう (you) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 八 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 八
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 八つ | やっつ yattsu | eight (things) | |
| 八月 | はちがつ hachigatsu | August |
八つ (yattsu) means “eight (things)”.
八月 (hachigatsu) means “August”. Also in this word: 月
FAQ
What does 八 mean in Japanese?
八 means “eight”. Common words with it are 八つ (yattsu, “eight (things)”) and 八月 (hachigatsu, “August”).
How many strokes does 八 have?
八 has 2 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 2.
How do you read 八?
The on’yomi is ハチ (hachi) and the kun’yomi is や (ya), や.つ (yatsu), やっ.つ (yattsu), よう (you). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 八 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 八 is kanji number 8 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.