写 — “to copy / to photograph” in Japanese

Grade 3しゃ, うつ

Radical ⼍ · radical 14 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to copy / to photograph” in Japanese is 写, read sha, utsu (しゃ, うつ). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 写真 (photograph).

Try it now

What does 写 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	写
Meaning	to copy / to photograph
Readings	しゃ, うつ
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	写真 (photograph)

How to read 写

写 is read sha (しゃ) or utsu (うつ) depending on the word.

Words with 写

写真しゃしん
描写

Learn 写 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 写

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

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28