俗 — “Vulgar / Customs / Manners / Worldliness” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぞく

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

“Vulgar / Customs / Manners / Worldliness” in Japanese is 俗, read zoku (ぞく). 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 俗語 (slang).

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What does 俗 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	俗
Meaning	Vulgar / Customs / Manners / Worldliness
Readings	ぞく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	俗語 (slang)

How to read 俗

俗 is read zoku (ぞく) depending on the word.

Words with 俗

俗語

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Kanji read the same way as 俗

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

Updated: 2026-08-28