KaiwaGo何 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
何 means “what”. It is written with 7 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: カ (ka). Kun’yomi: なに (nani), なん (nan).
How to write 何 (stroke order)
Write 何 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 何
Trace 何 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 何
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | カ (ka) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | なに (nani)なん (nan) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 何 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 何
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 何 | なに nani | what | |
| 何人 | なんにん nannin | how many people |
何 (nani) means “what”.
何人 (nannin) means “how many people”. Also in this word: 人
FAQ
What does 何 mean in Japanese?
何 means “what”. Common words with it are 何 (nani, “what”) and 何人 (nannin, “how many people”).
How many strokes does 何 have?
何 has 7 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 7.
How do you read 何?
The on’yomi is カ (ka) and the kun’yomi is なに (nani), なん (nan). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 何 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 何 is kanji number 63 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.