啓 — “Disclose / Open / Say” in Japanese

Master (高手)けい, ひら, さと

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

“Disclose / Open / Say” in Japanese is 啓, read kei, hira, sato (けい, ひら, さと). 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 啓発 (enlightenment).

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What does 啓 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	啓
Meaning	Disclose / Open / Say
Readings	けい, ひら, さと
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	啓発 (enlightenment)

How to read 啓

啓 is read kei (けい) or hira (ひら) or sato (さと) depending on the word.

Words with 啓

啓発

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Kanji read the same way as 啓

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

Updated: 2026-08-28