惨: the kanji for miserable; cruel
惨 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means miserable; cruel. Below are its readings, 4 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
惨 is written in 11 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
惨 has 3 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).
サン (san)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 悲惨ひさん · hisan | tragic; miserable |
| 惨事さんじ · sanji | disaster; tragedy |
ザン (zan)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 惨敗ざんぱい · zanpai | crushing defeat |
みじめ (mijime)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 惨めみじめ · mijime | miserable |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 戦争の悲惨さを伝える。Sensō no hisansa o tsutaeru.We pass on the horrors of war.
- 試合は惨敗だった。Shiai wa zanpai datta.We suffered a crushing defeat.
- 一人だけ置いていかれて惨めな気持ちになった。Hitori dake oite ikarete mijime na kimochi ni natta.I felt miserable being the only one left behind.
- 安全対策で大きな惨事を防ぐ。Anzen taisaku de ōki na sanji o fusegu.Safety measures prevent major disasters.
- 悲惨な事故のニュースを見た。Hisan na jiko no nyūsu o mita.I saw the news of a tragic accident.
Questions about 惨
How many strokes does 惨 have?
惨 is written in 11 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 惨?
The on readings are san (サン), zan (ザン). The kun readings are mijime (みじめ).
What JLPT level is 惨?
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
Feelings and emotions
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 惨
- 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.