像 — “statue / image” in Japanese

Grade 5ぞう

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

“statue / image” in Japanese is 像, read zou (ぞう). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 銅像 (bronze statue).

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What does 像 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	像
Meaning	statue / image
Readings	ぞう
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	銅像 (bronze statue)

How to read 像

像 is read zou (ぞう) depending on the word.

Words with 像

想像そうぞう
銅像
肖像

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Kanji read the same way as 像

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28