奏 — to play music / to report to a ruler

Grade 6そう, かな

奏 (readings: そう, かな; Japanese kanji) means “to play music / to report to a ruler”. It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 演奏 (musical performance).

What does 奏 mean?

Kanji	奏
Meaning	to play music / to report to a ruler
Readings	そう, かな
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school

How to read 奏

奏 is read そう or かな depending on the word.

Example words with 奏

Example	演奏 (musical performance)

Practice writing 奏 — free

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Updated: 2026-07-14