促 — “Stimulate / Urge / Press / Demand” in Japanese

Master (高手)そく, うなが

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

“Stimulate / Urge / Press / Demand” in Japanese is 促, read soku, unaga (そく, うなが). 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 促進 (promotion).

Try it now

What does 促 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	促
Meaning	Stimulate / Urge / Press / Demand
Readings	そく, うなが
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	促進 (promotion)

How to read 促

促 is read soku (そく) or unaga (うなが) depending on the word.

Words with 促

促進

Learn 促 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 促

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

Updated: 2026-08-28