怪 — “Suspicious / Mystery / Apparition” in Japanese

Master (高手)かい, け, あや

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Suspicious / Mystery / Apparition” in Japanese is 怪, read kai, ke, aya (かい, け, あや). 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 怪物 (monster).

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What does 怪 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	怪
Meaning	Suspicious / Mystery / Apparition
Readings	かい, け, あや
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	怪物 (monster)

How to read 怪

怪 is read kai (かい) or ke (け) or aya (あや) depending on the word.

Words with 怪

怪物
妖怪

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Kanji read the same way as 怪

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

Updated: 2026-08-28