翁: the kanji for old man
翁 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means old man. Below are its readings, 2 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
翁 is written in 10 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
翁 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 2 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
オウ (ou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 老翁ろうおう · rōō | old man |
| 塞翁が馬さいおうがうま · saiō ga uma | fortune and misfortune are hard to predict |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 塞翁が馬と言うように、悪いことの後にいいことがあった。Saiō ga uma to iu yō ni, warui koto no ato ni ii koto ga atta.As the saying goes, luck turns: something good came after something bad.
- 物語に白いひげの老翁が出てくる。Monogatari ni shiroi hige no rōō ga dete kuru.An old man with a white beard appears in the story.
- 老翁は昔の話をゆっくり語った。Rōō wa mukashi no hanashi o yukkuri katatta.The old man slowly told stories of the past.
- 能の舞台で老翁の面をつけて舞った。Nō no butai de rōō no men o tsukete matta.He danced on the Noh stage wearing an old man's mask.
- …失敗しても、塞翁が馬だと考えればいい。Shippai shite mo, saiō ga uma da to kangaereba ii.Even if you fail, remember that luck can turn.
Questions about 翁
How many strokes does 翁 have?
翁 is written in 10 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 翁?
The on readings are ou (オウ). 翁 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
What JLPT level is 翁?
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 翁
- 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.