早
early
N5- Onyomi
- ソウ
- Kunyomi
- はや(い)
- Stroke count
- 6
- JLPT
- N5
Mnemonic
The sun (日) just above the horizon (十) — early morning. 早 means early or fast.
Stroke Order
Stroke count: 6
- 1上から下へ書きます。Write from top to bottom.
- 2左から右へ書きます。Write from left to right.
- 3横の画を先に、縦の画を後に書きます。Write horizontal strokes before the vertical strokes that cross them.
- 4外側の囲みを先に書き、中を後で書きます。Draw an outer enclosure first, then fill in what is inside.
- 5中央を先に、左右を後に書きます。In symmetric shapes, write the centre before the left and right sides.
- 6この漢字は6画です。下の練習エリアで順番に書いてみましょう。This kanji has 6 strokes — trace them in order in the practice area below.
Step by step
Stroke-order data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Practice Writing
Trace the faded character with your mouse or finger. Hide the outline to test yourself.
Writing Tips
- Follow the order strictly: top-to-bottom and left-to-right. Correct order makes the shape balanced and natural.
- Keep each stroke in one smooth motion — don't lift the pen in the middle of a stroke.
- Close enclosing strokes cleanly so the character does not look open or broken.
- Common mistake: drawing strokes bottom-to-top or right-to-left. Even if the result looks similar, the wrong order shows in handwriting and makes it harder to read.
Example words
早いearly早いですpolite: is early早くないですpolite negative: is not early早かったですpolite past: was early
Example sentences (1)
早いはとても大切です。
はやい は とても たいせつ です。
hayai wa totemo taisetsu desu.
The early is very important.