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Kanji for Write
The kanji most commonly used for "Write" are 書、筆、描.
書
Kanji that mean Write
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書
to write, book, letter
Onyomi: sho Kunyomi: gaki, ka.ku 10 strokes Jōyō
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筆
brush, pen, writing
Onyomi: hitsu Kunyomi: fude 12 strokes Jōyō
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描
to draw, to describe
Onyomi: byoh Kunyomi: ega.ku, ka.ku 11 strokes Jōyō
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著
to write
Also associated with notable, clear.
Onyomi: chaku, cho Kunyomi: ara.wasu, ichijirushii 11 strokes Jōyō
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綴
compose, bind, stitch
Onyomi: getsu, techi, tei, tetsu Kunyomi: sumi.yaka, to.jiru, tsudu.ru, tsuduri 14 strokes Jinmeiyō
書 is writing in general: the verb 書く, and the character in 書道 (calligraphy), 文書 (a document), 読書 (reading) and 辞書 (a dictionary). If you want one character for ‘write’, this is it — it covers both the act and the thing written.
著 is to author. 著者 is an author, 著作 a written work, 著書 a book someone has written. The same character read ichijirushii means ‘marked, striking’ (著しい), a separate everyday sense worth knowing about. 綴 is to string words together: 綴る is to compose or spell out, 綴じる is to bind loose pages into a bundle.
The rest are near misses. 描 is drawing, not writing — 描く (to depict), 描写 (depiction) — though it shares the reading kaku with 書く. 草 reaches this list through 草書, the flowing cursive script, and 草稿, a rough draft; on its own it means grass. 識 is really ‘to know’ (知識, 常識, 意識), and its recording sense belongs to older formal usage.
Words using Write kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
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書記
しょき
clerk; secretary; writing down
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筆頭
ひっとう
brush tip; first on a list; head
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描く
えがく
to draw; to paint; to sketch
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著者
ちょしゃ
author (usu. of a particular book); writer
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綴る
つづる
to spell; to write; to compose
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文書
ぶんしょ
document; writing; letter
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執筆
しっぴつ
writing; authoring
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思い描く
おもいえがく
to imagine; to picture; to figure
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著書
ちょしょ
(written) work; book; writings
Before you use Write kanji
書 is the safe character and is strongly tied to calligraphy, which is usually the intended feel. 描 will be read as 'draw'. 識 reads as knowledge or awareness rather than writing, and 草 on its own simply means 'grass'.