菜: the kanji for vegetable; greens
菜 is a JLPT N2 kanji that means vegetable; greens. Below are its readings, 5 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
菜 is written in 11 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
菜 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).
サイ (sai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 野菜やさい · yasai | vegetable |
| 菜食さいしょく · saishoku | vegetarian diet |
| 山菜さんさい · sansai | wild vegetables |
な (na)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 菜の花なのはな · nanohana | rape blossoms |
| 菜っ葉なっぱ · nappa | leafy greens |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 毎日野菜をたくさん食べるようにしている。Mainichi yasai o takusan taberu yō ni shite iru.I try to eat a lot of vegetables every day.
- 春の川辺に菜の花が咲いている。Haru no kawabe ni nanohana ga saite iru.Rape blossoms are blooming by the river in spring.
- 山で採った山菜を天ぷらにした。Yama de totta sansai o tenpura ni shita.I made tempura with wild vegetables I picked in the mountains.
- 彼は菜食を続けている。Kare wa saishoku o tsuzukete iru.He sticks to a vegetarian diet.
- 菜っ葉をゆでて、おひたしにした。Nappa o yudete, ohitashi ni shita.I boiled some greens and made a simple side dish.
Questions about 菜
How many strokes does 菜 have?
菜 is written in 11 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 菜?
The on readings are sai (サイ). The kun readings are na (な).
What JLPT level is 菜?
N2. 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 N2 is designed to match the former Level 2.
More JLPT N2 kanji
Food and cooking
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 菜
- 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.