操 – maneuver, manipulate, operate

16 strokesTaught in grade 6#1016 in newspaper frequencyN3 vocabulary

The kanji 操 means maneuver, manipulate, operate, steer, chastity, virginity, fidelity. Its on’yomi (Chinese-derived reading) is ソウ、サン (sou, san); its kun’yomi (native Japanese reading) is みさお、あやつ.る (misao, ayatsuru). It is written with 16 strokes, under radical 手 (no. 64).

Stroke order

Stroke order from KanjiVG. Practise others with the stroke order lookup.

Readings

Type	Reading	Romaji
On’yomi	ソウ	sou
On’yomi	サン	san
Kun’yomi	みさお	misao
Kun’yomi	あやつ.る	ayatsuru

A dot separates the kanji’s part from the okurigana (kana written after it), e.g. まな.ぶ → 学ぶ.

Radical and components

Radical: 手 (Kangxi radical 64). Components: 口・木・扎・品.

Words using 操

操作そうさoperation操縦そうじゅうsteering体操たいそうgymnastics操るあやつるto operate (e.g. a machine)

Example sentences

このコンピューターの操作は難しい。

Operating this computer is tricky.

Tatoeba #223731

私はこのＣＤプレイヤーの操作のしかたが分からない。

I don't know how to operate this CD player.

Tatoeba #161027

ジェット機では不注意な操縦は許されない。

A jet airliner does not admit of careless handling.

Tatoeba #216399

Kanji with the same radical

手持指投打提挙援担技撃推接授摘批

Sources: KANJIDIC2 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0), Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). About the data.