久 — long time / lasting

Grade 5きゅう, く, ひさ

久 (readings: きゅう, く, ひさ; Japanese kanji) means “long time / lasting”. It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 永久 (eternity).

What does 久 mean?

Kanji	久
Meaning	long time / lasting
Readings	きゅう, く, ひさ
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school

How to read 久

久 is read きゅう or く or ひさ depending on the word.

Example words with 久

Example	永久 (eternity)

Practice writing 久 — free

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Updated: 2026-07-14