Learn 首 through body parts and a familiar word for a capital city.
The idea
首 has 9 strokes. Its kun reading is くび in 首, 手首 and 足首; the on reading シュ appears in 首都（しゅと）. Learn readings with whole words and follow the linked stroke diagram.
| Word | Reading | Meaning in context |
|---|---|---|
| 首 | くび | My neck hurts. |
| 手首 | てくび | I wear a watch on my wrist. |
| 足首 | あしくび | I sprained my ankle. |
| 首都 | しゅと | Tokyo is the capital of Japan. |
Examples
- 首が痛いです。My neck hurts.
- 首にマフラーを巻きました。I wrapped a scarf around my neck.
- 手首に時計をしています。I wear a watch on my wrist.
- 足首をくじきました。I sprained my ankle.
- 東京は日本の首都です。Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
- 首をゆっくり回してください。Please turn your neck slowly.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
手首 is the wrist and 足首 is the ankle, not the whole hand or foot. 首都 means a capital city, not a neck.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 首 in hiragana.
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くび
首 is くび: 首が痛いです means “My neck hurts.”
Write the reading of 首都 in hiragana.
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しゅと
首都 is しゅと: 東京 is Japan’s capital. Here 首 is read しゅ.
Choose the missing kanji: 手＿（てくび）［首／目］.
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首
首 completes 手首（てくび）, the wrist; 手 means hand.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 首 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 首都 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: 手＿（てくび）［首／目］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 首 following the diagram, then cover the table and read 手首 and 首都 aloud. Make a sentence with one word.