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breath, son

JLPT N3 Grade 3 10 strokes
Kun'yomi
いき
On'yomi
ソク
Radical
· heart (heart, mind, feeling)

息 means "breath, son". It is a JLPT N3 kanji written in 10 strokes. It is read いき in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ソク in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 3.

Example word

息子むすこ

son

息 in example sentences

  • きゅうそくしろ。

    Kyuusoku shiro.

    Take a rest.

  • あとひといきだ。

    Ato hitoiki da.

    We're almost there.

  • はないきをして。

    Hana de iki o shite.

    Breathe through your nose.

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 息

More (heart) kanji

Common questions

What does the kanji 息 mean?
息 means "breath, son". It is a JLPT N3 kanji.
How many strokes does 息 have?
息 is written in 10 strokes.
How is 息 read?
It is read いき in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ソク in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 息?
息 is a JLPT N3 kanji.