井 — “Well / Well Crib / Town / Community” in Japanese

Master (高手)せい, しょう, い

Radical ⼆ · radical 7 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Well / Well Crib / Town / Community” in Japanese is 井, read sei, shou, i (せい, しょう, い). 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 井戸 (water well).

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What does 井 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	井
Meaning	Well / Well Crib / Town / Community
Readings	せい, しょう, い
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	井戸 (water well)

How to read 井

井 is read sei (せい) or shou (しょう) or i (い) depending on the word.

Words with 井

井戸

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Kanji read the same way as 井

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

Updated: 2026-08-28