俗: the kanji for custom; vulgar

俗 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means custom; vulgar. Below are its readings, 3 common words and example sentences, all with audio.

custom; vulgarMeaning

ゾクOn reading

—Kun reading

9Strokes

Stroke order

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

Words by reading

俗 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 3 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).

ゾク (zoku)

On reading.

Word	Meaning
風俗ふうぞく · fūzoku	customs; manners
民俗みんぞく · minzoku	folk customs
俗語ぞくご · zokugo	slang

Example sentences for work and daily life

博物館で江戸の風俗を学んだ。Hakubutsukan de Edo no fūzoku o mananda.I learned about Edo-period customs at the museum.
民俗学の本を読んでいる。Minzokugaku no hon o yonde iru.I'm reading a book on folklore studies.
俗に言う「天才」だ。Zoku ni iu "tensai" da.He's what people call a "genius."
俗語は辞書に載っていないこともある。Zokugo wa jisho ni notte inai koto mo aru.Slang is sometimes not in the dictionary.
俗世間を離れて山で暮らす。Zokuseken o hanarete yama de kurasu.He lives in the mountains away from the everyday world.

Questions about 俗

How many strokes does 俗 have?

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

What are the readings of 俗?

The on readings are zoku (ゾク). 俗 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.

What JLPT level is 俗?

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.