克 — “Overcome / Kindly / Skillfully” in Japanese

Master (高手)こく, か

Radical ⼉ · radical 10 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Overcome / Kindly / Skillfully” in Japanese is 克, read koku, ka (こく, か). 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 克服 (overcoming).

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What does 克 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	克
Meaning	Overcome / Kindly / Skillfully
Readings	こく, か
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	克服 (overcoming)

How to read 克

克 is read koku (こく) or ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 克

克服

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Kanji read the same way as 克

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

Updated: 2026-08-28