悩 — “Trouble / Worry / In Pain / Distress” in Japanese

Master (高手)のう, なや, なやみ

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

“Trouble / Worry / In Pain / Distress” in Japanese is 悩, read nou, naya, nayami (のう, なや, なやみ). 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 悩み (worry).

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What does 悩 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	悩
Meaning	Trouble / Worry / In Pain / Distress
Readings	のう, なや, なやみ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	悩み (worry)

How to read 悩

悩 is read nou (のう) or naya (なや) or nayami (なやみ) depending on the word.

Words with 悩

悩み
煩悩

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Kanji read the same way as 悩

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

Updated: 2026-08-28