太 — “thick / fat” in Japanese

Grade 2た, たい, ふと

Radical ⼤ · radical 37 The building block this kanji is filed under

“thick / fat” in Japanese is 太, read ta, tai, futo (た, たい, ふと). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 太陽 (the sun).

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What does 太 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	太
Meaning	thick / fat
Readings	た, たい, ふと
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	太陽 (the sun)

How to read 太

太 is read ta (た) or tai (たい) or futo (ふと) depending on the word.

Words with 太

太陽たいよう
太鼓

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Kanji read the same way as 太

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28