愁: the kanji for sorrow; melancholy
愁 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means sorrow; melancholy. Below are its readings, 4 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
愁 is written in 13 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
愁 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).
シュウ (shuu)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 郷愁きょうしゅう · kyōshū | nostalgia; homesickness |
| 哀愁あいしゅう · aishū | melancholy |
| 旅愁りょしゅう · ryoshū | loneliness on a journey |
うれい (urei)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 愁いうれい · urei | sorrow; grief |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 古い写真を見て郷愁を感じた。Furui shashin o mite kyōshū o kanjita.Looking at old photos made me feel nostalgic.
- 彼女の顔には愁いが見えた。Kanojo no kao ni wa urei ga mieta.Sorrow showed on her face.
- 一人旅で旅愁を味わった。Hitoritabi de ryoshū o ajiwatta.Traveling alone, I felt the loneliness of the road.
- 秋の歌には哀愁がある。Aki no uta ni wa aishū ga aru.Autumn songs have a touch of melancholy.
- 故郷への郷愁が強くなった。Kokyō e no kyōshū ga tsuyoku natta.My longing for my hometown grew stronger.
Questions about 愁
How many strokes does 愁 have?
愁 is written in 13 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 愁?
The on readings are shuu (シュウ). The kun readings are ureeru (うれえる), urei (うれい).
What JLPT level is 愁?
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 愁
- 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.