Skip to content
司

rule, govern

JLPT N1 Grade 4 5 strokes
Kun'yomi
つかさど.る
On'yomi
シ
Radical
口 · mouth (mouth, opening)

司 means "rule, govern". It is a JLPT N1 kanji written in 5 strokes. It is read つかさど.る in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and シ in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 4.

司 in example sentences

  • 上司じょうしに残業ざんぎょうさせられたんだよ。

    Joushi ni zangyou saseraretan da yo.

    My boss made me work overtime.

  • 上司じょうしがイライラし始はじめている。

    Joushi ga iraira shi hajimete iru.

    My boss is starting to get edgy.

  • 上司じょうしとの約束やくそくをすっぽかした。

    Joushi to no yakusoku o suppokashita.

    I skipped out on my appointment with my boss.

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.

Words that use 司

More 口 (mouth) kanji

Common questions

What does the kanji 司 mean?
司 means "rule, govern". It is a JLPT N1 kanji.
How many strokes does 司 have?
司 is written in 5 strokes.
How is 司 read?
It is read つかさど.る in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and シ in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 司?
司 is a JLPT N1 kanji.
Explore on the kanji map → Practice kanji