寡 — “Widow / Minority / Few” in Japanese

Master (高手)か

Radical ⼧ · radical 40 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Widow / Minority / Few” in Japanese is 寡, read ka (か). 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 寡黙 (reticent).

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What does 寡 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	寡
Meaning	Widow / Minority / Few
Readings	か
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	寡黙 (reticent)

How to read 寡

寡 is read ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 寡

寡黙

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Updated: 2026-08-28