奏: the kanji for play (music); report to the emperor

奏 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means play (music); report to the emperor. Below are its readings, 4 common words and example sentences, all with audio.

play (music); report to the emperorMeaning

ソウOn reading

かなでるKun reading

9Strokes

Stroke order

奏 is written in 9 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.

Words by reading

奏 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 4 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).

ソウ (sou)

On reading.

Word	Meaning
演奏えんそう · ensō	musical performance
合奏がっそう · gassō	ensemble playing
伴奏ばんそう · bansō	accompaniment

かなでる (kanaderu)

Kun reading.

Word	Meaning
奏でるかなでる · kanaderu	to play (an instrument)

Example sentences for work and daily life

彼はバイオリンを演奏した。Kare wa baiorin o ensō shita.He played the violin.
クラス全員で合奏した。Kurasu zen'in de gassō shita.The whole class played together.
ピアノの伴奏に合わせて歌った。Piano no bansō ni awasete utatta.I sang along to the piano accompaniment.
風が木々の間で美しい音を奏でる。Kaze ga kigi no aida de utsukushii oto o kanaderu.The wind plays beautiful sounds among the trees.
演奏が終わると大きな拍手が起きた。Ensō ga owaru to ōki na hakushu ga okita.When the performance ended, there was loud applause.

Questions about 奏

How many strokes does 奏 have?

奏 is written in 9 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.

What are the readings of 奏?

The on readings are sou (ソウ). The kun readings are kanaderu (かなでる).

What JLPT level is 奏?

N1. 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 N1 is designed to match the former Level 1.