Aspiration 志
kokorozashi1 character7 strokes
志 (kokorozashi) means aspiration: a goal or purpose you have firmly set your heart on, something you are determined to become or achieve.
Free practice sheet
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Meaning 意味
What 志 means
The Japanese kanji for aspiration, read kokorozashi.
志 is a goal or intention you have settled on in your heart: who you want to become, or what you mean to accomplish. It suggests a firm decision, not just a passing wish.
When people write it in Japan. People write 志 as one bold character for their dreams for the future or their goals for the new year. It is also a good word for practicing kakizome, the first calligraphy of the New Year.
Japanese children learn this kanji in 5th grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 志
Regular script (kaisho)
- This is a single character, so write it large in the center of the sheet. In 士 at the top, make the upper horizontal line long and the lower one short.
- Write 心 (heart) at the bottom wide, so it sits solidly under 士 and holds it up.
- Carry the 2nd stroke of 心 to the right in a gentle curve, and flick up at the end.
Semi-cursive script (gyōsho)
- In 士 at the top, let the brush flow from the horizontal line into the next stroke, keeping the link between them in mind.
- In 心 at the bottom, move the brush with rhythm, as if lightly linking the dots together.
- As a single character, write it large in the center of the sheet. Vary the line between thick and thin to give it a semi-cursive feel.
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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