Constant Progress 日進月歩
nisshin geppo4 characters27 strokes
日進月歩 (nisshin geppo) means constant progress, advancing day by day and month by month, the way science and technology keep moving forward.
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Meaning 意味
What 日進月歩 means
A Japanese four-character idiom, yojijukugo, read nisshin geppo.
LiterallyAdvance each day, step forward each month.
日進月歩 describes progress that never stops, day after day and month after month. It is often used for fast-moving fields such as science and technology, and for people whose skills keep growing.
“Medicine is truly nisshin geppo; new treatments appear every year.”
When people write it in Japan. It is a good choice for a New Year goal, or for anyone who wants to grow a little every day.
Japanese children know every kanji here by 3rd grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 日進月歩
Regular script (kaisho)
- In 進, sweep the 11th stroke of the road radical (shinnyō) long to the right. Let it reach past the part above on the right before you lift off.
- In 月, sweep the 1st stroke down to the left and space the two inner horizontals evenly. The 2nd stroke ends with a flick to the upper left.
- In 歩, make the 4th stroke, the horizontal in the top part, long. Sweep the 8th stroke freely down to the left.
Semi-cursive script (gyōsho)
- In 月, sweep the stroke on the left long down to the left. Hook the right vertical to the upper left at the bottom to firm up the base of the character.
- In 歩, write the bottom horizontal of the 止 at the top long. Sweep the stroke at the bottom big down to the left to give the character movement.
- In 進, keep the horizontals of 隹 on the right rising evenly to the right. Sweep the bottom of the road radical (shinnyō) long to the right.
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.
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