Stroke order gives your hand a repeatable path through a character. Learn the shapes in words as well as on their own.

The idea

Usually write from top to bottom and left to right; horizontal strokes often precede crossing vertical strokes. In 木 write the horizontal, vertical, left-falling and right-falling strokes. In 日 and 田 write the sides and inside before closing the bottom.

Patterns to compare
CharacterStroke sequence
木一 → 丨 → 丿 → ㇏
日丨 → ㇕ → 一 → 一
田丨 → ㇕ → 丨 → 一 → 一

Examples

  • 庭にわに木きがあります。There is a tree in the garden.
  • 木きの下したで休やすみます。I rest under a tree.
  • 今日きょうは日曜日にちようびです。Today is Sunday.
  • 日ひがとても明あかるいです。The sun is bright.
  • 駅えきの近ちかくに田たがあります。There is a rice field near the station.
  • 田中たなかさんは本ほんを読よみます。Mr Tanaka reads a book.

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

Watch out

These are guides, not universal laws. A bent stroke counts as one stroke, and the bottom of 日 or 田 is not part of the preceding bent stroke. Check a reliable model for unfamiliar characters.

Try it yourself

  1. First stroke of 木: horizontal or vertical? Enter 横 or 縦.

    Show answer or example answer

    横

    横: the horizontal stroke comes before the vertical in 木.

  2. Last stroke of 日: bottom or middle? Enter 下 or 中.

    Show answer or example answer

    下

    下: after the middle line, the bottom closes 日.

  3. Last stroke of 田: bottom or middle? Enter 下 or 中.

    Show answer or example answer

    下

    下: write the inner vertical and horizontal first, then close 田 at the bottom.

Use it today

Find 木, 日 and 田 in the sentences. Write each several times, saying the sequence, then compare your shapes with the table.