唄 — “Song / Ballad” in Japanese

Master (高手)ばい, うた

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

“Song / Ballad” in Japanese is 唄, read bai, uta (ばい, うた). 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 唄 (song).

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What does 唄 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	唄
Meaning	Song / Ballad
Readings	ばい, うた
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	唄 (song)

How to read 唄

唄 is read bai (ばい) or uta (うた) depending on the word.

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Kanji read the same way as 唄

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

Updated: 2026-08-28