合 — “to fit / to match” in Japanese

Grade 2ごう, がっ, あ

Radical ⼝ · radical 30 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to fit / to match” in Japanese is 合, read gou, ga, a (ごう, がっ, あ). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 合格 (passing an exam).

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What does 合 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	合
Meaning	to fit / to match
Readings	ごう, がっ, あ
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	合格 (passing an exam)

How to read 合

合 is read gou (ごう) or ga (がっ) or a (あ) depending on the word.

Words with 合

試合しあい
合意ごうい
割合わりあい
合格
合唱
総合
合併
組み合わせ

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Kanji read the same way as 合

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28