射 — “to shoot / to shine” in Japanese

Grade 6しゃ, い

Radical ⼨ · radical 41 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to shoot / to shine” in Japanese is 射, read sha, i (しゃ, い). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 注射 (injection).

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What does 射 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	射
Meaning	to shoot / to shine
Readings	しゃ, い
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	注射 (injection)

How to read 射

射 is read sha (しゃ) or i (い) depending on the word.

Words with 射

反射はんしゃ
注射

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Kanji read the same way as 射

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28