辛
辛·spicy, hot (taste), painful, hard to bear
- On-yomi
- シン
- Kun-yomi
- から(い)つら(い)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 辛い | からい | spicy, hot |
| 辛い | つらい | painful, hard to bear |
| 辛口 | からくち | dry (sake), harsh (criticism) |
| 香辛料 | こうしんりょう | spices |
Example sentences
このカレーは辛いです。
このカレーはからいです。
This curry is spicy.
父は辛口の日本酒が好きだ。
ちちはからくちのにほんしゅがすきだ。
My father likes dry sake.
毎日残業が続いて辛かった。
まいにちざんぎょうがつづいてつらかった。
Working overtime every day was hard to take.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Reading 辛い as からい when the sentence means つらい (painful) — only context tells them apart
- Writing 幸せ with 辛 by mistake
Memory aid
Picture it
幸 (happiness) with one stroke taken away — lose that stroke and joy turns sharp and hard to swallow.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 辛 mean?