子 — “child” in Japanese

Grade 1し, す, こ

Radical ⼦ · radical 39 The building block this kanji is filed under

“child” in Japanese is 子, read shi, su, ko (し, す, こ). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 子ども (child).

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What does 子 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	子
Meaning	child
Readings	し, す, こ
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	子ども (child)

How to read 子

子 is read shi (し) or su (す) or ko (こ) depending on the word.

Words with 子

様子ようす
電子でんし
子供こども
子鹿こじか
子犬
子羊
子孫
迷子
双子
菓子

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Updated: 2026-08-28