徐 — “Gradually / Slowly / Deliberately / Gently” in Japanese

Master (高手)じょ, おもむ

Radical ⼻ · radical 60 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Gradually / Slowly / Deliberately / Gently” in Japanese is 徐, read jo, omomu (じょ, おもむ). 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 徐行 (slowing down).

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What does 徐 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	徐
Meaning	Gradually / Slowly / Deliberately / Gently
Readings	じょ, おもむ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	徐行 (slowing down)

How to read 徐

徐 is read jo (じょ) or omomu (おもむ) depending on the word.

Words with 徐

徐行

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Kanji read the same way as 徐

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

Updated: 2026-08-28