吸 — to inhale / to suck

Grade 6きゅう, す

吸 (readings: きゅう, す; Japanese kanji) means “to inhale / to suck”. It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 呼吸 (respiration).

What does 吸 mean?

Kanji	吸
Meaning	to inhale / to suck
Readings	きゅう, す
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school

How to read 吸

吸 is read きゅう or す depending on the word.

Example words with 吸

Example	呼吸 (respiration)

Practice writing 吸 — free

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Updated: 2026-07-14