# 常 — always; usual

常 means “always; usual”. It is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 11 strokes. On'yomi: ジョウ (jou). Kun'yomi: つね (tsune). You'll see it in words such as 常に (tsuneni, “always; constantly”).

- Meaning: always; usual
- On'yomi: ジョウ (jou)
- Kun'yomi: つね (tsune)
- Strokes: 11
- Level: JLPT N3 · set Time 2

## How to remember 常

Parts: 尚 esteem · 巾 cloth

## Words with 常

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 常に | つねに (tsuneni) | always; constantly |
| 常 | つね (tsune) | usual state of things |
| 常々 | つねづね (tsunezune) | always; usually |

## Don't confuse it with

[堂](https://moji.ninja/n4-kanji/hall/) · [党](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/political-party/) · [営](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/operate/) · [掌](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/palm-of-the-hand/)

## More in the “Time 2” set

[再](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/again/) · [常](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/always/) · [末](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/tip/) · [旧](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/former/) · [秒](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/second-of-time/) · [昔](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/long-ago/) · [頃](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/around-a-time/)

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/always/. Last updated 2026-11-01.