孝 — “filial piety” in Japanese

Grade 6こう

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

“filial piety” in Japanese is 孝, read kou (こう). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 親孝行 (filial devotion).

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What does 孝 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	孝
Meaning	filial piety
Readings	こう
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	親孝行 (filial devotion)

How to read 孝

孝 is read kou (こう) depending on the word.

Words with 孝

親孝行

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Kanji read the same way as 孝

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

Updated: 2026-08-28