慕 — “Pining / Yearn For / Love Dearly / Adore” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぼ, した

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

“Pining / Yearn For / Love Dearly / Adore” in Japanese is 慕, read bo, shita (ぼ, した). 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 思慕 (yearning).

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What does 慕 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	慕
Meaning	Pining / Yearn For / Love Dearly / Adore
Readings	ぼ, した
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	思慕 (yearning)

How to read 慕

慕 is read bo (ぼ) or shita (した) depending on the word.

Words with 慕

思慕

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Kanji read the same way as 慕

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

Updated: 2026-08-28