則 — “rule / law” in Japanese

Grade 5そく

Radical ⼑ · radical 18 The building block this kanji is filed under

“rule / law” in Japanese is 則, read soku (そく). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 規則 (rule).

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What does 則 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	則
Meaning	rule / law
Readings	そく
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	規則 (rule)

How to read 則

則 is read soku (そく) depending on the word.

Words with 則

規則きそく
規則性きそくせい
規則正きそくただ

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Kanji read the same way as 則

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28