抑 — “Repress / Well / Now / In The First Place” in Japanese

Master (高手)よく, おさ

Radical ⼿ · radical 64 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Repress / Well / Now / In The First Place” in Japanese is 抑, read yoku, osa (よく, おさ). 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 抑制 (restraint, suppression).

Try it now

What does 抑 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	抑
Meaning	Repress / Well / Now / In The First Place
Readings	よく, おさ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	抑制 (restraint, suppression)

How to read 抑

抑 is read yoku (よく) or osa (おさ) depending on the word.

Words with 抑

抑制

Learn 抑 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 抑

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

Updated: 2026-08-28