両 — “both” in Japanese

Grade 3りょう

Radical ⼀ · radical 1 The building block this kanji is filed under

“both” in Japanese is 両, read ryou (りょう). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 両親 (parents).

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What does 両 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	両
Meaning	both
Readings	りょう
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	両親 (parents)

How to read 両

両 is read ryou (りょう) depending on the word.

Words with 両

車両しゃりょう
両親
両替

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Kanji read the same way as 両

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28