妨 — “Disturb / Prevent / Hamper / Obstruct” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぼう, さまた

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

“Disturb / Prevent / Hamper / Obstruct” in Japanese is 妨, read bou, samata (ぼう, さまた). 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 妨害 (obstruction).

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What does 妨 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	妨
Meaning	Disturb / Prevent / Hamper / Obstruct
Readings	ぼう, さまた
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	妨害 (obstruction)

How to read 妨

妨 is read bou (ぼう) or samata (さまた) depending on the word.

Words with 妨

妨害

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Kanji read the same way as 妨

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

Updated: 2026-08-28