即 — “Instant / Namely / As Is / Conform” in Japanese

Master (高手)そく, つ, すなわ

Radical ⼙ · radical 26 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Instant / Namely / As Is / Conform” in Japanese is 即, read soku, tsu, sunawa (そく, つ, すなわ). 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 即座 (immediate).

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What does 即 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	即
Meaning	Instant / Namely / As Is / Conform
Readings	そく, つ, すなわ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	即座 (immediate)

How to read 即

即 is read soku (そく) or tsu (つ) or sunawa (すなわ) depending on the word.

Words with 即

即座

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Kanji read the same way as 即

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

Updated: 2026-08-28