凶 — “Villain / Evil / Bad Luck / Disaster” in Japanese

Master (高手)きょう

Radical ⼐ · radical 17 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Villain / Evil / Bad Luck / Disaster” in Japanese is 凶, read kyou (きょう). 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 凶悪 (heinous).

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What does 凶 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	凶
Meaning	Villain / Evil / Bad Luck / Disaster
Readings	きょう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	凶悪 (heinous)

How to read 凶

凶 is read kyou (きょう) depending on the word.

Words with 凶

凶悪

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Kanji read the same way as 凶

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

Updated: 2026-08-28