伯 — “Chief / Count / Earl / Uncle” in Japanese

Master (高手)はく

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

“Chief / Count / Earl / Uncle” in Japanese is 伯, read haku (はく). 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 伯爵 (count, earl).

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What does 伯 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	伯
Meaning	Chief / Count / Earl / Uncle
Readings	はく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	伯爵 (count, earl)

How to read 伯

伯 is read haku (はく) depending on the word.

Words with 伯

伯爵

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Kanji read the same way as 伯

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

Updated: 2026-08-28