皇: the kanji for emperor; imperial
皇 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means emperor; imperial. Below are its readings, 5 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
皇 is written in 9 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
皇 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 5 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
コウ (kou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 皇居こうきょ · kōkyo | Imperial Palace |
| 皇室こうしつ · kōshitsu | Imperial Family |
| 皇族こうぞく · kōzoku | member of the Imperial Family |
オウ (ou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 天皇てんのう · tennō | Emperor (of Japan) |
| 法皇ほうおう · hōō | cloistered emperor; the Pope … |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 皇居の周りを走る人が多い。Kōkyo no mawari o hashiru hito ga ōi.Many people run around the Imperial Palace.
- 天皇の誕生日は祝日だ。Tennō no tanjōbi wa shukujitsu da.The Emperor's birthday is a national holiday.
- 皇室のニュースがテレビで流れた。Kōshitsu no nyūsu ga terebi de nagareta.News about the Imperial Family was on TV.
- 皇族の方が式典に出席された。Kōzoku no kata ga shikiten ni shusseki sareta.A member of the Imperial Family attended the ceremony.
- 歴史の授業で法皇について学んだ。Rekishi no jugyō de hōō ni tsuite mananda.We learned about cloistered emperors in history class.
Questions about 皇
How many strokes does 皇 have?
皇 is written in 9 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 皇?
The on readings are kou (コウ), ou (オウ). 皇 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
What JLPT level is 皇?
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.
More JLPT N1 kanji
People and relationships
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 皇
- 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.