串 — “Spit / Skewer” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん, けん, せん, くし, つらぬ

Radical ⼁ · radical 2 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Spit / Skewer” in Japanese is 串, read kan, ken, sen (かん, けん, せん, くし, つらぬ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 串焼き (skewered grill).

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What does 串 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	串
Meaning	Spit / Skewer
Readings	かん, けん, せん, くし, つらぬ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	串焼き (skewered grill)

How to read 串

串 is read kan (かん) or ken (けん) or sen (せん) or kushi (くし) or tsuranu (つらぬ) depending on the word.

Words with 串

串焼き

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Kanji read the same way as 串

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

Updated: 2026-08-28