勲 — “Meritorious Deed / Merit” in Japanese

Master (高手)くん, いさお

Radical ⼒ · radical 19 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Meritorious Deed / Merit” in Japanese is 勲, read kun, isao (くん, いさお). 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 勲章 (medal).

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What does 勲 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	勲
Meaning	Meritorious Deed / Merit
Readings	くん, いさお
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	勲章 (medal)

How to read 勲

勲 is read kun (くん) or isao (いさお) depending on the word.

Words with 勲

勲章

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Kanji read the same way as 勲

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

Updated: 2026-08-28