話
speak / story
N5- Onyomi
- ワ
- Kunyomi
- はな(す)・はなし
- Stroke count
- 13
- JLPT
- N5
Mnemonic
Words (言) from a tongue (舌) — speaking. 話 means to talk or a story.
Stroke Order
Stroke count: 13
- 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13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 13 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.
Structure
Radical
言
speech / words
Component
舌
tongue
Words 言 from the tongue 舌 — talking.
Writing Tips
- Keep the 言 radical compact on the left, and let the right side stand a little taller.
- 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
話すto speak電話telephone call話talk世話care会話conversation話してspeak — te-form
Example sentences (1)
話すはとても大切です。
はなす は とても たいせつ です。
hanasu wa totemo taisetsu desu.
The to speak is very important.