如 — “Likeness / Like / Such As / As If” in Japanese

Master (高手)じょ, にょ, ごと

Radical ⼥ · radical 38 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Likeness / Like / Such As / As If” in Japanese is 如, read jo, nyo, goto (じょ, にょ, ごと). 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 如何 (how).

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What does 如 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	如
Meaning	Likeness / Like / Such As / As If
Readings	じょ, にょ, ごと
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	如何 (how)

How to read 如

如 is read jo (じょ) or nyo (にょ) or goto (ごと) depending on the word.

Words with 如

如何

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Kanji read the same way as 如

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

Updated: 2026-08-28