冒 — “Risk / Face / Defy / Dare” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぼう, おか

Radical ⼌ · radical 13 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Risk / Face / Defy / Dare” in Japanese is 冒, read bou, oka (ぼう, おか). 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 冒険 (adventure).

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What does 冒 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	冒
Meaning	Risk / Face / Defy / Dare
Readings	ぼう, おか
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	冒険 (adventure)

How to read 冒

冒 is read bou (ぼう) or oka (おか) depending on the word.

Words with 冒

冒険

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Kanji read the same way as 冒

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

Updated: 2026-08-28