令 — “command / order” in Japanese

Grade 4れい

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

“command / order” in Japanese is 令, read rei (れい). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 命令 (order / command).

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What does 令 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	令
Meaning	command / order
Readings	れい
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	命令 (order / command)

How to read 令

令 is read rei (れい) depending on the word.

Words with 令

発令はつれい
命令
令嬢

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Kanji read the same way as 令

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

Updated: 2026-08-28