余 — “surplus / excess” in Japanese

Grade 5よ, あま

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

“surplus / excess” in Japanese is 余, read yo, ama (よ, あま). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 余裕 (room to spare).

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What does 余 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	余
Meaning	surplus / excess
Readings	よ, あま
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	余裕 (room to spare)

How to read 余

余 is read yo (よ) or ama (あま) depending on the word.

Words with 余

余裕

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Kanji read the same way as 余

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

Updated: 2026-08-28