七: the kanji for seven
七 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means seven. Below are its readings, 14 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
七 is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
七 has 4 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 13 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
シチ (shichi)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 七月しちがつ · shichigatsu | July |
| 七時しちじ · shichiji | seven o'clock |
| 七五三しちごさん · shichigosan | Shichi-Go-San (a celebration for children aged 3, 5 and 7) |
| 七福神しちふくじん · shichifukujin | the Seven Lucky Gods |
なな (nana)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 七回ななかい · nanakai | seven times |
| 七十ななじゅう · nanajū | seventy |
| 七百ななひゃく · nanahyaku | seven hundred |
| 七千ななせん · nanasen | seven thousand |
| 七色なないろ · nanairo | seven colors |
| 七分ななふん · nanafun | seven minutes |
| 七歳ななさい · nanasai | seven years old |
ななつ (nanatsu)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 七つななつ · nanatsu | seven (things) |
なの (nano)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 七日なのか · nanoka | the 7th of the month; seven days |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 七, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 七夕たなばた · tanabata | Tanabata (the Star Festival) |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 朝七時に起きます。Asa shichiji ni okimasu.I get up at seven in the morning.
- 会議は七月七日です。Kaigi wa shichigatsu nanoka desu.The meeting is on July 7.
- 七時半に会社を出ます。Shichiji-han ni kaisha o demasu.I leave the office at 7:30.
- 子どもは七歳です。Kodomo wa nanasai desu.My child is seven years old.
- 七夕は七月の行事です。Tanabata wa shichigatsu no gyōji desu.Tanabata is a July event.
- 駅まで歩いて七分です。Eki made aruite nanafun desu.It's a seven-minute walk to the station.
Questions about 七
How many strokes does 七 have?
七 is written in 2 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 七?
The on readings are shichi (シチ). The kun readings are nana (なな), nanatsu (ななつ), nano (なの).
Is 七 read shichi or nana?
Both are used. Shichi appears in words such as 七月 (shichigatsu, July) and 七時 (shichiji, seven o'clock). Nana is common when counting, as in 七回 (nanakai, seven times) and 七歳 (nanasai, seven years old).
What JLPT level is 七?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Numbers and money
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 七
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.