Meet 石 in everyday words for stones, materials and minerals. Learn each reading together with its word.
The idea
石 has five strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Alone, 石 is usually いし; in 石油（せきゆ） and 宝石（ほうせき） it is せき. 石鹸（せっけん） has a small っ.
Examples
- 庭に石があります。There is a stone in the garden.
- 小さな石を拾いました。I picked up a small stone.
- この橋は石でできています。This bridge is made of stone.
- 日本は石油を輸入しています。Japan imports petroleum.
- 彼女は宝石を見ています。She is looking at a gemstone.
- 石鹸で手を洗ってください。Please wash your hands with soap.
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
Do not apply いし to every compound: 石油 is せきゆ. 石 and 右 look alike, but their upper strokes differ.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 石 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
いし
石 is いし when it means a stone on its own. The garden example places one in the garden.
Write the reading of 石油 in hiragana.
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せきゆ
石油 is せきゆ, meaning petroleum. The sentence describes Japan importing it.
Choose the missing kanji: 宝＿（ほうせき）［石／右］.
Show answer or example answer
石
石 completes 宝石（ほうせき）, a gemstone. Its reading here is せき.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 石 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 石油 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: 宝＿（ほうせき）［石／右］.
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 石 using the diagram, then cover the readings and read 石, 石油 and 宝石 aloud. Make a sentence with one word.