匹 — “Equal / Head / Counter For Small Animals / Roll Of Cloth” in Japanese

Master (高手)ひつ, ひき

Radical ⼖ · radical 23 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Equal / Head / Counter For Small Animals / Roll Of Cloth” in Japanese is 匹, read hitsu, hiki (ひつ, ひき). 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 匹敵 (comparable).

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What does 匹 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	匹
Meaning	Equal / Head / Counter For Small Animals / Roll Of Cloth
Readings	ひつ, ひき
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	匹敵 (comparable)

How to read 匹

匹 is read hitsu (ひつ) or hiki (ひき) depending on the word.

Words with 匹

匹敵

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Kanji read the same way as 匹

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

Updated: 2026-08-28