免 — “Excuse / Dismissal” in Japanese

Master (高手)めん, まぬか, まぬが

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

“Excuse / Dismissal” in Japanese is 免, read men, manuka, manuga (めん, まぬか, まぬが). 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 免許 (license).

Try it now

What does 免 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	免
Meaning	Excuse / Dismissal
Readings	めん, まぬか, まぬが
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	免許 (license)

How to read 免

免 is read men (めん) or manuka (まぬか) or manuga (まぬが) depending on the word.

Words with 免

免許
罷免

Learn 免 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 免

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

Updated: 2026-08-28