芝
芝·turf, lawn, grass
- On-yomi
- シ
- Kun-yomi
- しば
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 芝生 | しばふ | lawn |
| 芝居 | しばい | play, theatre; an act (pretence) |
| 紙芝居 | かみしばい | kamishibai, picture-card storytelling |
| 芝 | しば | turf, lawn grass |
Example sentences
芝生の上で子供が遊んでいる。
しばふのうえでこどもがあそんでいる。
Children are playing on the lawn.
週末に友達と芝居を見に行った。
しゅうまつにともだちとしばいをみにいった。
I went to see a play with a friend at the weekend.
泣いたのはただの芝居だった。
ないたのはただのしばいだった。
The crying was only an act.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
- 芝芋芋 (potato) also sits under 艹, but below it is 于, not the curving 之.
- 芝之之 is the bottom half of 芝 on its own — a classical particle, not used in modern prose.
Common mistakes
- Reading 芝生 as しばせい — it is しばふ
- The シ reading is almost never seen; in practice 芝 is しば
Memory aid
Picture it
The grass radical 艹 over a low spreading stroke: grass that keeps close to the ground — turf you can walk on.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 芝 mean?