丹 — “Rust-colored / Red / Red Lead / Pills” in Japanese

Master (高手)たん, に

Radical ⼂ · radical 3 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Rust-colored / Red / Red Lead / Pills” in Japanese is 丹, read tan, ni (たん, に). 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 丹念 (painstaking).

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What does 丹 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	丹
Meaning	Rust-colored / Red / Red Lead / Pills
Readings	たん, に
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	丹念 (painstaking)

How to read 丹

丹 is read tan (たん) or ni (に) depending on the word.

Words with 丹

丹念

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Kanji read the same way as 丹

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

Updated: 2026-08-28