Recognize 引 in 引く and 引き出し. Connect each word’s reading with its meaning in context.

The idea

引 has 4 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram for their order. Read 引く（ひく） and 引き出し（ひきだし） as whole words: a kanji’s reading depends on the word.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
引くひくPlease pull the door towards you.
引き出しひきだしThere is a pen in the drawer.
引っ越すひっこすI’m moving to Osaka next month.

Examples

  • ドアを手前てまえに引ひいてください。Please pull the door towards you.
  • 紙かみに線せんを引ひきます。I draw a line on the paper.
  • 引ひき出だしにペンがあります。There is a pen in the drawer.
  • 引ひき出だしをゆっくり開あけます。I open the drawer slowly.
  • 来月らいげつ、大阪おおさかに引ひっ越こします。I’m moving to Osaka next month.
  • 友達ともだちが先週せんしゅう引ひっ越こしました。My friend moved house last week.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

引く can mean drawing a line as well as pulling; 引っ越す contains a small っ. Do not assume that every word containing 引 has the same meaning or reading. Compare 引 with 弓; pay attention to 丨 when distinguishing their shapes.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 引く in hiragana.

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    ひく

    引く is read ひく. In context: Please pull the door towards you.

  2. Write the reading of 引き出し in hiragana.

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    ひきだし

    引き出し is read ひきだし. In context: There is a pen in the drawer.

  3. Write the missing kanji: ＿っ越す（ひっこす）［引／弓］.

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    引

    引 completes 引っ越す, read ひっこす. In context: I’m moving to Osaka next month.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 引 from memory and read 引く and 引き出し aloud. Check your readings against the examples.