Japanese kanji 写: copying and photographs

The idea

写 has 5 strokes; follow their order in the linked diagram. Read 写真（しゃしん） and 写します（うつします） as complete words, because a character’s pronunciation depends on the word.

Examples

• 写真しゃしんを一枚いちまい撮とります。I take one photograph.
• この写真しゃしんはとてもきれいです。This photograph is very beautiful.
• ノートに漢字かんじを写うつします。I copy the kanji into my notebook.
• 黒板こくばんの文字もじを紙かみに写うつします。I copy the writing on the blackboard onto paper.
• 私わたしも写真しゃしんに写うつっています。I am in the photograph too.
• この写真しゃしんに山やまが写うつっています。There is a mountain in this photograph.

Watch out

写す（うつす） can mean to copy; 写る（うつる） means to appear in a photograph. To take a photograph, use 撮る（とる）. Compare the shape of 写 with 与.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 写真 in hiragana. 「写真を一枚いちまい撮とります。」

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   しゃしん

   写真 is read しゃしん. In the example: I take one photograph. Here it means “photograph”.

2. Write the reading of 写します in hiragana. 「ノートに漢字かんじを写します。」

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   うつします

   写します is read うつします. In the example: I copy the kanji into my notebook. Here it means “copy”.

3. Write the missing kanji: ＿真［写／与］（しゃしん）.

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   写

   写 completes 写真, read しゃしん. In the example: I take one photograph. Here it means “photograph”.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 写 from memory and read 写真 and 写します aloud. Then check the readings against the examples.