塞 — “Close / Shut / Cover / Block” in Japanese

Master (高手)そく, さい, ふさ, とりで, み

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

“Close / Shut / Cover / Block” in Japanese is 塞, read soku, sai, fusa (そく, さい, ふさ, とりで, み). 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 閉塞 (blockage).

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What does 塞 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	塞
Meaning	Close / Shut / Cover / Block
Readings	そく, さい, ふさ, とりで, み
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	閉塞 (blockage)

How to read 塞

塞 is read soku (そく) or sai (さい) or fusa (ふさ) or toride (とりで) or mi (み) depending on the word.

Words with 塞

梗塞
閉塞

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Kanji read the same way as 塞

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

Updated: 2026-08-28