坑 — “Pit / Hole” in Japanese

Master (高手)こう

Radical ⼟ · radical 32 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Pit / Hole” in Japanese is 坑, read kou (こう). 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 炭坑 (coal mine).

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What does 坑 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	坑
Meaning	Pit / Hole
Readings	こう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	炭坑 (coal mine)

How to read 坑

坑 is read kou (こう) depending on the word.

Words with 坑

炭坑

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Kanji read the same way as 坑

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

Updated: 2026-08-28