壮 — “Robust / Manhood / Prosperity” in Japanese

Master (高手)そう, さかん

Radical ⼠ · radical 33 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Robust / Manhood / Prosperity” in Japanese is 壮, read sou, sakan (そう, さかん). 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 壮大 (grand).

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What does 壮 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	壮
Meaning	Robust / Manhood / Prosperity
Readings	そう, さかん
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	壮大 (grand)

How to read 壮

壮 is read sou (そう) or sakan (さかん) depending on the word.

Words with 壮

壮大

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Kanji read the same way as 壮

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

Updated: 2026-08-28