Health 健康
kenkō2 characters22 strokes
健康 (kenkō) means health: the state of having a strong, sound body and mind, full of energy and free of illness.
Free practice sheet
Print at 100%, actual size. Enter your email once and every free sheet downloads right away.
Meaning 意味
What 健康 means
The Japanese word for health, written with 2 kanji and read kenkō.
健康 describes a body and mind that are sturdy and well. It is the everyday Japanese word for health.
When people write it in Japan. In Japan, 健康 is a common word for kakizome, the first calligraphy of the New Year, and for goals for the year ahead.
Both kanji are taught in 4th grade in Japan.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 健康
Three things to watch
- Keep the person radical on the left of 健 (ninben) narrow. In 建 on the right, write the long-stride part 廴 (ennyō) last and sweep it out slowly to the right.
- In 康, stretch the left sweep of the frame at the top left (madare) long, so it wraps around the lower part.
- In the lower part of 康, bring the vertical line straight down and flick up to the left. Spread the dots and the sweep out to both sides.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
Free for personal practice and classroom use. Please do not sell or re-post the files. Share a link to this page instead.
While the sets are on their way
The book is out now.
Japanese Calligraphy for Beginners takes you from holding the brush to writing whole words, step by step, in English. Every model inside was brushed by our teachers.
Starter Set, $72.99 with the book, brush, ink and paper: coming soon.