拙: the kanji for clumsy; my (humble)

拙 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means clumsy; my (humble). Below are its readings, 4 common words and example sentences, all with audio.

clumsy; my (humble)Meaning

セツOn reading

つたないKun reading

8Strokes

Stroke order

拙 is written in 8 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.

Words by reading

拙 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).

セツ (setsu)

On reading.

Word	Meaning
稚拙ちせつ · chisetsu	clumsy; childish
拙速せっそく · sessoku	hasty but crude
巧拙こうせつ · kōsetsu	skill or lack of skill

つたない (tsutanai)

Kun reading.

Word	Meaning
拙いつたない · tsutanai	poor; clumsy

Example sentences for work and daily life

拙い日本語ですが、よろしくお願いします。Tsutanai Nihongo desu ga, yoroshiku onegai shimasu.My Japanese is poor, but thank you for your patience.
拙速な判断は避けたい。Sessoku na handan wa saketai.I want to avoid hasty decisions.
子どもの稚拙な絵にも味がある。Kodomo no chisetsu na e ni mo aji ga aru.Even a child's clumsy drawing has charm.
作品の巧拙は問わない。Sakuhin no kōsetsu wa towanai.The skill level of the work doesn't matter.
拙い文章をお読みいただき感謝します。Tsutanai bunshō o oyomi itadaki kansha shimasu.Thank you for reading my poor writing.

Questions about 拙

How many strokes does 拙 have?

拙 is written in 8 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.

What are the readings of 拙?

The on readings are setsu (セツ). The kun readings are tsutanai (つたない).

What JLPT level is 拙?

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.