哀 — Pathetic / Grief / Sorrow / Pathos

Master (高手)あい, あわ, かな

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

哀 (readings: あい, あわ, かな; Japanese kanji) means “Pathetic / Grief / Sorrow / Pathos”. 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 哀愁 (sorrow).

Try it now

What does 哀 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	哀
Meaning	Pathetic / Grief / Sorrow / Pathos
Readings	あい, あわ, かな
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	哀愁 (sorrow)

How to read 哀

哀 is read あい or あわ or かな depending on the word.

Words with 哀

哀悼ai điếu
哀愁nỗi buồn

Learn 哀 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,026 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Updated: 2026-07-22