巧 — “Adroit / Skilled / Ingenuity” in Japanese

Master (高手)こう, たく, うま

Radical ⼯ · radical 48 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Adroit / Skilled / Ingenuity” in Japanese is 巧, read kou, taku, uma (こう, たく, うま). 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 巧妙 (skillful).

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What does 巧 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	巧
Meaning	Adroit / Skilled / Ingenuity
Readings	こう, たく, うま
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	巧妙 (skillful)

How to read 巧

巧 is read kou (こう) or taku (たく) or uma (うま) depending on the word.

Words with 巧

巧妙

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Kanji read the same way as 巧

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

Updated: 2026-08-28