喝 — “Hoarse / Scold” in Japanese

Master (高手)かつ

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

“Hoarse / Scold” in Japanese is 喝, read katsu (かつ). 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 恐喝 (blackmail).

Try it now

What does 喝 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	喝
Meaning	Hoarse / Scold
Readings	かつ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	恐喝 (blackmail)

How to read 喝

喝 is read katsu (かつ) depending on the word.

Words with 喝

恐喝
喝采

Learn 喝 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 — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 喝

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

Updated: 2026-08-28