塚 — “Hillock / Mound” in Japanese

Master (高手)ちょう, つか, -づか

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

“Hillock / Mound” in Japanese is 塚, read chou, tsuka, zuka (ちょう, つか, -づか). 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 貝塚 (shell mound).

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What does 塚 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	塚
Meaning	Hillock / Mound
Readings	ちょう, つか, -づか
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	貝塚 (shell mound)

How to read 塚

塚 is read chou (ちょう) or tsuka (つか) or zuka (-づか) depending on the word.

Words with 塚

貝塚

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Kanji read the same way as 塚

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

Updated: 2026-08-28