剣

sword

JLPT N1 10 strokes

Kun'yomi: つるぎ
On'yomi: ケン
Radical: 刀 · knife (knife, blade)

剣 means "sword". It is a JLPT N1 kanji written in 10 strokes. It is read つるぎ in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ケン in compounds (on'yomi). It is taught beyond elementary school (junior high and up).

剣 in example sentences

トムは真剣しんけんだ。

Tomu wa shinken da.

Tom's serious.
真剣しんけんだったの？

Shinken datta no?

Were you serious?
トムは剣けんを抜ぬいた。

Tomu wa ken o nuita.

Tom drew the sword.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

More 刀 (knife) kanji

Common questions

What does the kanji 剣 mean?: 剣 means "sword". It is a JLPT N1 kanji.
How many strokes does 剣 have?: 剣 is written in 10 strokes.
How is 剣 read?: It is read つるぎ in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ケン in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 剣?: 剣 is a JLPT N1 kanji.

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