

Deep Breath 深呼吸
shinkokyū3 characters25 strokes
深呼吸 (shinkokyū) means a deep breath: breathing in and out slowly and deeply, something people also do to calm the mind.
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Meaning 意味
What 深呼吸 means
The Japanese word for Deep Breath, written with 3 kanji and read shinkokyū.
Shinkokyū is breathing in and out slowly and deeply. People also take one when they want to settle their nerves. The three characters mean deep, breathe out and breathe in.
When people write it in Japan. Shinkokyū suits pieces you want to write calmly, at an unhurried pace. In Japan it is also used as a practice word for kakizome, the first calligraphy of the New Year.
Japanese children know every kanji here by 6th grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 深呼吸
Semi-cursive script (gyōsho)
- In 深, write the water radical on the left (sanzui), the three dots, so that each dot flows into the next stroke.
- In 呼 and 吸, keep the mouth radical on the left (kuchihen) small, and write the right side larger.
- Line up the centers of all three characters. Keep the brush moving and write from top to bottom with a steady rhythm.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame. Shown in regular script. Semi-cursive follows the same order, with strokes joined.
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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