堀 — “Ditch / Moat / Canal” in Japanese

Master (高手)くつ, ほり

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

“Ditch / Moat / Canal” in Japanese is 堀, read kutsu, hori (くつ, ほり). 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 堀 (moat).

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What does 堀 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	堀
Meaning	Ditch / Moat / Canal
Readings	くつ, ほり
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	堀 (moat)

How to read 堀

堀 is read kutsu (くつ) or hori (ほり) depending on the word.

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Updated: 2026-08-28