恭 — “Respect / Reverent” in Japanese

Master (高手)きょう, うやうや

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

“Respect / Reverent” in Japanese is 恭, read kyou, uyauya (きょう, うやうや). 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 恭賀 (respectful congratulations).

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What does 恭 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	恭
Meaning	Respect / Reverent
Readings	きょう, うやうや
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	恭賀 (respectful congratulations)

How to read 恭

恭 is read kyou (きょう) or uyauya (うやうや) depending on the word.

Words with 恭

恭賀

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Kanji read the same way as 恭

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

Updated: 2026-08-28