write, to document, book
On'yomi (音読み)
- ショ
- ショウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- か.く
- -が.き
- か.き
About this kanji
The kanji 書 means "to write" and can also refer to documents or books. It’s commonly used both as a verb and in compound words. For example, 書店 (しょてん) means "bookstore," where you can buy books, while 手書き (てがき) refers to "handwriting," or the way you write by hand. Additionally, 書類 (しょるい) translates to "document," which is often used in office settings. The verb form, 書く (かく), simply means "to write." When learning this kanji, remember that it encompasses the act of writing and the materials related to it.
Built from
Example sentences
毎日、日記を書いています。
I write a diary every day.
Meanings across languages
- English
- write, to document, book
- Tiếng Việt
- viết, tài liệu, sách
- 日本語
- 書く, 書類, 本
- 한국어
- 쓰기, 문서화하다
- 中文
- 写, 记录
- id
- menulis, mendokumentasikan
- th
- เขียน, บันทึก
- es
- escribir, documentar
- fr
- écrire, documenter
- de
- schreiben, dokumentieren
- pt
- escrever, documentar
Common compounds
- 書店しょてんbookstore
- 手書きてがきhandwriting
- 書類しょるいdocument, form
- 書くかくto write
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.